Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the three temptations he faced were...
The temptation to be relevant (to turn stones into bread)
The temptation to be spectacular ("Throw yourself from the parapet of the temple and let the angels catch you and carry you in their arms" ...the temptation to prove himself; to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say [to prove that he was somebody]).
The temptation to be powerful ("I will give you all the kingdoms of this world in their splendor...")
The Christian leader faces the same three temptations. In response to the first temptation, Nouwen suggests...
"The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?"If there is any focus that the Christian leader of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, 'Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?'"
In response to the second temptation (to be spectacular), he suggests...
"When you look at today's church, it is easy to see the prevalence of individualism among ministers and priests. Not too many of us have a vast repertoire of skills to be proud of, but most of us still feel that, if we have anything at all to show, it is something we have to do solo."
"Somehow we have come to believe that good leadership requires a safe distance from those we are called to lead... But how can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life."
"The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."
"Confession and forgiveness are precisely the disciplines by which spiritualization and carnality can be avoided and true incarnation lived. Through confession, the dark powers are taken out of their carnal isolation, brought into the light, and made visible to the community. Through forgiveness, they are disarmed and dispelled and a new integration between body and spirit is made possible."Finally, in response to the third temptation (to be powerful), Nouwen suggests...
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life."
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
In Christ 2
Where do you find your identity?
Why do these words matter?
Do you believe them?
How does this relate with abiding?
With transformation?
Sources: Julie
Why do these words matter?
Do you believe them?
How does this relate with abiding?
With transformation?
Sources: Julie
Where are you in cultural adjustments
Which person in the picture are you in terms of cluture shock?
Why?
Sources: CAI Field Orientation
Why?
Sources: CAI Field Orientation
Cultural Difference in France
Disclaimer: Transparency/Confidentiality – all participate
Opening Question – differences?
Cultural sensitivity GREETINGS: French men allow women to initiate in greetings, re-bonjour, may assume you are English – shake hands, expectations on people speaking English, you have some extra latitude by being American, DIFFERENCES: French high outer walls and American low outer walls, COMMUNICATION: volume level, don’t like the phone, off limits to French are questions about your job and maybe what is deemed as too personal questions, off limits to Americans are how much you paid for things, religion and politics, INVITATIONS: more comfortable initially at cafes, aparo great way to start
EXPECTATIONS (blocked goals leads to depression)
Observations
Symptoms
Qustions – how would you define culture shock?
Give definition later: “Psychological disorientation most people experience when they move for an extended period of time to a different culture.”
“Short termers” will experience all of the same symptoms potentially but in a shorter time period.
Chart
Choices chart
Fog----------------------------------------------------------------------------deal
Loss/Gain:
Loss: Support (family,friends,school,church)
Familiar ways of communicating /relating to people
Knowing how to act/what is expected
Familiar setting that provides security/self-worth
Gains: New setting (sights,smells,tastes)
New acquaintances
New language,pattern of speech,nonverbal cues
New roll/identity
Coping Mechanisms
Questions: What helps you deal?
“We cannot underscore the power of adjusting well. Cross cultural adaptation will “squeeze” issues out of you. If you “deal” with them you will grow, if you don’t you really are missing a real growth opportunity and putting yourself at risk of lasting psychological and emotional problems..”
Sources: Andi
Opening Question – differences?
Cultural sensitivity GREETINGS: French men allow women to initiate in greetings, re-bonjour, may assume you are English – shake hands, expectations on people speaking English, you have some extra latitude by being American, DIFFERENCES: French high outer walls and American low outer walls, COMMUNICATION: volume level, don’t like the phone, off limits to French are questions about your job and maybe what is deemed as too personal questions, off limits to Americans are how much you paid for things, religion and politics, INVITATIONS: more comfortable initially at cafes, aparo great way to start
EXPECTATIONS (blocked goals leads to depression)
Observations
Symptoms
Qustions – how would you define culture shock?
Give definition later: “Psychological disorientation most people experience when they move for an extended period of time to a different culture.”
“Short termers” will experience all of the same symptoms potentially but in a shorter time period.
Chart
Choices chart
Fog----------------------------------------------------------------------------deal
Loss/Gain:
Loss: Support (family,friends,school,church)
Familiar ways of communicating /relating to people
Knowing how to act/what is expected
Familiar setting that provides security/self-worth
Gains: New setting (sights,smells,tastes)
New acquaintances
New language,pattern of speech,nonverbal cues
New roll/identity
Coping Mechanisms
Questions: What helps you deal?
“We cannot underscore the power of adjusting well. Cross cultural adaptation will “squeeze” issues out of you. If you “deal” with them you will grow, if you don’t you really are missing a real growth opportunity and putting yourself at risk of lasting psychological and emotional problems..”
Sources: Andi
Fill in the Bland- What We're Up Against
A Dark Kingdom
The Kingdom of the Kosmos (of the World)
What is it?
1. ________________________________________________ such as ____________(I Cor. 3:19 ), ______________ (I Cor. 2:12), ______________ (I Cor. 7:31) and _________________ (Titus 2:12) of the world.
2. _____________________ toward _____________ and ________________.
1. I Cor. 1:21 - the world ______ God
2. Jn. 7:7 - the world's works are ______________.
3. Jn. 14:17 - the world cannot receive ______________.
4. Jn. 15:18 - the world ___________________________.
3. The men who have alienated themselves from God by _____________ to this kingdom. (Heb. 11:38; Jn. 14:17; Jn. 15:18)
What does Christ says about the Komos?
1. Jn. 18:36 - My kingdom is ____ of this Kosmos.
2. Jn. 16:33 - I have ________________ the world.
3. Jn. 12:31 Now is the _________ of this Kosmos.
In addition:
II Pet. 1:4; II Pet. 2:20 – The world is _______________.
4. James 4:4*- __________________ with the world is enmity with God
5. I Jn. 2:15*- If anyone _________ the world, the love of the Father ________________.
6. I Jn. 5:4 - our __________overcomes the world.
What’s behind the world system?
1. I Jn. 5:19*- the whole world lies in the power of the evil one
2. Jn. 12:31; Jn. 14:30; Jn. 16:11 - the ruler of this world
3. For our struggle is not against____________________, but against rulers, authorities, __________ in the darkness around us, and evil _______ forces in the heavenly realm.
We are to be ____ the world but not _____the world.
Do not ___________any longer to the pattern of this world, but _____________ by the renewing of your mind. Then you will _________ to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In what areas of your life have you conformed to the pattern of this world?
Are all things in the Kosmos evil?
In what ways have you noticed that the Kosmos is against God?
Sources: Watchman Nee
The Kingdom of the Kosmos (of the World)
What is it?
1. ________________________________________________ such as ____________(I Cor. 3:19 ), ______________ (I Cor. 2:12), ______________ (I Cor. 7:31) and _________________ (Titus 2:12) of the world.
2. _____________________ toward _____________ and ________________.
1. I Cor. 1:21 - the world ______ God
2. Jn. 7:7 - the world's works are ______________.
3. Jn. 14:17 - the world cannot receive ______________.
4. Jn. 15:18 - the world ___________________________.
3. The men who have alienated themselves from God by _____________ to this kingdom. (Heb. 11:38; Jn. 14:17; Jn. 15:18)
What does Christ says about the Komos?
1. Jn. 18:36 - My kingdom is ____ of this Kosmos.
2. Jn. 16:33 - I have ________________ the world.
3. Jn. 12:31 Now is the _________ of this Kosmos.
In addition:
II Pet. 1:4; II Pet. 2:20 – The world is _______________.
4. James 4:4*- __________________ with the world is enmity with God
5. I Jn. 2:15*- If anyone _________ the world, the love of the Father ________________.
6. I Jn. 5:4 - our __________overcomes the world.
What’s behind the world system?
1. I Jn. 5:19*- the whole world lies in the power of the evil one
2. Jn. 12:31; Jn. 14:30; Jn. 16:11 - the ruler of this world
3. For our struggle is not against____________________, but against rulers, authorities, __________ in the darkness around us, and evil _______ forces in the heavenly realm.
We are to be ____ the world but not _____the world.
Do not ___________any longer to the pattern of this world, but _____________ by the renewing of your mind. Then you will _________ to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In what areas of your life have you conformed to the pattern of this world?
Are all things in the Kosmos evil?
In what ways have you noticed that the Kosmos is against God?
Sources: Watchman Nee
What We're Up Against
A Dark Kingdom
The Kingdom of the Kosmos (of the World)
What is it?
1. The underlying qualities or patterns which animate the world such as the wisdom (I Cor. 3:19 ), the spirit (I Cor. 2:12), the ways (I Cor. 7:31) and the lusts or desires (Titus 2:12) of the world .
2. The hostility of the world system toward God and Christ.
1. I Cor. 1:21 - the world knew not God
2. Jn. 7:7 - the world's works are evil
3. Jn. 14:17 - the world cannot receive the spirit
4. Jn. 15:18 - the world hated Christ
3. The men who have alienated themselves from God by belonging to this kingdoms (Heb. 11:38; Jn. 14:17; Jn. 15:18)
I Jn. 2:15 – love of the things of that are in the world
II Pet. 2:20 –defiled by the world.
What does Christ says about the Komos?
1. Jn. 18:36 - My kingdom is not of this Kosmos
2. Jn. 16:33 - I have overcome the world
3. Jn. 12:31 Now is the judgement of this Kosmos
In addition:
4. James 4:4*- Friendship with the world is enmity with God
5. I Jn. 2:15*- If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
6. I Jn. 5:4 - our faith overcomes the world
D. This is because there is a mind behind the system.
1. Jn. 12:31; Jn. 14:30; Jn. 16:11 - the ruler of this world
2. II Cor. 4:4 - the god of this world (the term here is not Kosmos, but ho seon houtos which is a synonym but contmeplates the world system from the aspect of time, or age, rather than space as does Kosmos. See also Rom. 12:2 and #6).
3. Eph. 2:2 - the prince of the power of the air
4. I Cor. 2:8 - the demons are the rulers of this age or this world
5. Eph. 6:12 - the demons are the world rulers (Kosmoskraters) of this darkness
6. I Jn. 5:19*- the whole world lies in the power of the evil one
7. For our[i] struggle is not against flesh and blood (or human opponents) ,[j] but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us,[k] and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.
E. The believer is not to withdraw from the world system.
(Jn. 17:15, 16; I Cor. 5:9,10; Phil. 2:15; Mt. 5:13-16; Jn. 16:33)
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
World is in the power of the evil one. I have a choice to believe God or the world.
Sources: Watchman Nee
The Kingdom of the Kosmos (of the World)
What is it?
1. The underlying qualities or patterns which animate the world such as the wisdom (I Cor. 3:19 ), the spirit (I Cor. 2:12), the ways (I Cor. 7:31) and the lusts or desires (Titus 2:12) of the world .
2. The hostility of the world system toward God and Christ.
1. I Cor. 1:21 - the world knew not God
2. Jn. 7:7 - the world's works are evil
3. Jn. 14:17 - the world cannot receive the spirit
4. Jn. 15:18 - the world hated Christ
3. The men who have alienated themselves from God by belonging to this kingdoms (Heb. 11:38; Jn. 14:17; Jn. 15:18)
I Jn. 2:15 – love of the things of that are in the world
II Pet. 2:20 –defiled by the world.
What does Christ says about the Komos?
1. Jn. 18:36 - My kingdom is not of this Kosmos
2. Jn. 16:33 - I have overcome the world
3. Jn. 12:31 Now is the judgement of this Kosmos
In addition:
4. James 4:4*- Friendship with the world is enmity with God
5. I Jn. 2:15*- If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
6. I Jn. 5:4 - our faith overcomes the world
D. This is because there is a mind behind the system.
1. Jn. 12:31; Jn. 14:30; Jn. 16:11 - the ruler of this world
2. II Cor. 4:4 - the god of this world (the term here is not Kosmos, but ho seon houtos which is a synonym but contmeplates the world system from the aspect of time, or age, rather than space as does Kosmos. See also Rom. 12:2 and #6).
3. Eph. 2:2 - the prince of the power of the air
4. I Cor. 2:8 - the demons are the rulers of this age or this world
5. Eph. 6:12 - the demons are the world rulers (Kosmoskraters) of this darkness
6. I Jn. 5:19*- the whole world lies in the power of the evil one
7. For our[i] struggle is not against flesh and blood (or human opponents) ,[j] but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us,[k] and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.
E. The believer is not to withdraw from the world system.
(Jn. 17:15, 16; I Cor. 5:9,10; Phil. 2:15; Mt. 5:13-16; Jn. 16:33)
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
World is in the power of the evil one. I have a choice to believe God or the world.
Sources: Watchman Nee
WE SAY: GOD SAYS:
WE SAY: GOD SAYS:
"It's impossible."
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Lk. 18:27) (See Gen 18:14)
"I'm too tired."
"Come to me…and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28-30) (See Jer. 6:16; Heb. 4:1)
"Nobody really loves me."
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (Jn. 3:16)
"I can't go on."
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor.12:9) (See Exo. 4:10-15; Josh. 1:9; Isa. 43:2; Jer. 1:6-9; I Cor. 10:13; Heb. 4:16
"I can't figure things out."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Pro. 3:5, 6)
"I can't do it.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13)
"I'm not able."
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Cor. 9:8)
"I can't forgive."
"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness…" (Psa. 130:3, 4) (See Matt. 6:14, 15; 18:23-35; Jms.. 2:13; Eph. 4:32)
"I can't manage."
"My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) (See Psa. 23; 84:11; Isa. 40:31; 2 Cor. 4:7-10; 9:8; 1 Thes. 5:24)
"I'm afraid."
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJ) (See Lk. 1:74, 75; Act. 20:24; Rom. 8:15; 1 Jn. 4:18)
"I'm always worried and frustrated"
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (I Pet. 5:7) (See I Sam.
"I'm not smart enough."
"…You are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God…" (1 Cor. 1:30) (See 1 Chron. 22:1, 2; Pro. 2:3-6; 8:5; Jms.1:5)
"I feel all alone."
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5) (See Dt. 31:6-8)
"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)
What have you been saying this week?
What does God say?
Sources: Julie's Dad
"It's impossible."
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Lk. 18:27) (See Gen 18:14)
"I'm too tired."
"Come to me…and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28-30) (See Jer. 6:16; Heb. 4:1)
"Nobody really loves me."
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (Jn. 3:16)
"I can't go on."
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor.12:9) (See Exo. 4:10-15; Josh. 1:9; Isa. 43:2; Jer. 1:6-9; I Cor. 10:13; Heb. 4:16
"I can't figure things out."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Pro. 3:5, 6)
"I can't do it.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13)
"I'm not able."
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Cor. 9:8)
"I can't forgive."
"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness…" (Psa. 130:3, 4) (See Matt. 6:14, 15; 18:23-35; Jms.. 2:13; Eph. 4:32)
"I can't manage."
"My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) (See Psa. 23; 84:11; Isa. 40:31; 2 Cor. 4:7-10; 9:8; 1 Thes. 5:24)
"I'm afraid."
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJ) (See Lk. 1:74, 75; Act. 20:24; Rom. 8:15; 1 Jn. 4:18)
"I'm always worried and frustrated"
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (I Pet. 5:7) (See I Sam.
"I'm not smart enough."
"…You are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God…" (1 Cor. 1:30) (See 1 Chron. 22:1, 2; Pro. 2:3-6; 8:5; Jms.1:5)
"I feel all alone."
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5) (See Dt. 31:6-8)
"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)
What have you been saying this week?
What does God say?
Sources: Julie's Dad
Christian Development- Hud
Believers have Blind Side issues we need to get rid of. –not dark side- old man is dead. New man must learn to live.
Both a light and a dark side to all stages
0. Behavior-Human Doing
a. Relational but not making deep connections.
b. We hold on to a life that can not bring life
c. Behavioral change will not drive the change your soul longs for.
d. At this stage, peace to us is the absence of conflict.
e. Usually there is a deep sense of need
f. We are moving from being worthless to being worthy, if God is working in us.
1. Acknowledging that God exists
a. We think:
i. That we are too bad to be loved. “If you really knew me, if you really saw my heart, you wouldn’t love me. If we are abused by our caretakers/parents we think the reason they treat us bad is because we deserve it.
ii. Without faith, it is impossible to please God
iii. If I please God, then I will have his love
iv. I’m too good to be loved; I don’t need it. I’m in charge.
b. Motivations can be fear, comparison, competition, guilt, or striving. Most people can’t get past the fact that we are truly loved.
c. Loving God for self’s sake
d. Learn the way
2. Rules and dependency
a. Discipline + Discipleship
b. Power by association –teacher/listener
c. Trying to get it right
d. Look for systems
e. Attractional—association with a place
f. Argues out of righteousness
g. Listening
h. Study
i. Children built to play—do we make them study before relationship?
3. Production + Serving
a. Doing
b. Power by achievement
c. Programs
d. Not ok to be vulnerable
e. Performance
f. Perfection
g. Tired and proud
h. 85% of people don’t get past here
i. Motivation by winning and competing
j. Goal of personal success
Now we move to:
Human Being
Taking out the trash in our lives
We don’t start here unless we believe God is absolutely good.
We don’t naturally jump into 4-6.
We need to create an environment around ours and other people’s 4-6.
We can’t create a program for 4-6.
You are being drawn.
Motivation- Cease striving. If you loose your life for my sake you get it back.
In the garden we wanted to be independent. That will try to get in the way. We are moving from independence to dependence on God.
We can’t make this leap based on experiences. Experience causes us to believe that we are in an impossible situation. Trust over doing. How do react if our experience does not line up with what we expect. We have been faithful, why is God doing this??
We need to know what God is doing and why in order to trust Him and that is backwards.
Inner growth and maturity takes place here. Here peace loves anxiety.
Start to understand that I breathed my last breath because God is pleased to do so.
None of these steps come naturally.
Ego is removed in 4-6. We are still not confident and don’t believe that we are truly loved by God.
No one is in just one stage. We move all the time. Like manna it rots the next day. We need our daily bread.
Disciplines- We sometimes want to use the disciplines on the 2-3 side as a vehicle to push us through the others. Should do 1 thing to us: give us presuppositions. (I think to create space for God to move too) Legalism reigns here.
We will never be in a circumstance where we cannot love.
The transformative change comes from the Spirit of God working in us.
4. Inner Work
a. Unsettling stage, answers are no longer satisfactory
b. We have to give up the dream that 1-3 will bring us life.
c. Motivators are Hope and Holiness
d. We must let go of what we look at as success—not a failure to have anxiety
e. This is where shame, fear, guilt, hurt, and pride are disarmed. Some people call it the dark night of the soul, but that’s not a good name for it.
f. Refining
g. Exploring the unresolved psychological and theological things in our lives
h. Disarming shame, fear, guilt, hurt, pride
i. Relies on grace
j. Needs to be reminded of God’s unconditional love
k. Grief starts the process
l. Anxiety is embraced for peace
m. Moving from independence to dependence
n. Inner growth + maturity take place here
o. Let the interior questioning come
p. Spirit working in the heart and mind
q. Praying through desert experiences
r. Pruning and refining
s. Making pure
t. Sanctifying
u. Purging
v. A key step to maturity
w. Identifying core lies
x. Returning between 2 shores
y. Most people turn around ½ way and retreat to familiar territory
z. Don’t try to bring up trash, it will come up w/out us looking for us (if we shelter ourselves, it comes up quicker)
aa. We don’t have anything that we shouldn’t put into the light
bb. We have this wellspring of things inside of us just waiting to get out
cc. I Timothy 4:4 Redeeming and not getting rid of ourselves
dd. We think God breaks us, but that is not how He operates. He won’t give us anything we can’t handle.
ee. Circumstances don’t make or break you, they reveal you
Healing is necessary for our souls. In this stage, we start outward again. The power is the power of purpose. Our calling is to Jesus not a place or an action or talent. We need to be independent from our circumstances. Powered by purpose. If our purpose is to further the kingdom why can’t we yield to something bigger than us. We are also to bow to marriage and not have marriage bow to us.
5. Healing
a. Yielding to God for kingdom transformation
b. Reliant on God’s goodness
c. Wholeness
d. Surrender, submit, slave,
e. Many people call this transformation.
f. Power by purpose
g. Empathy
h. God is good
i. Uncompromisingly, He is the center
j. Motivator- to empower others.
k. We move from being worthy to being unworthy.
l. Gratefulness.
m. More substance in relationships
n. Have others in mind
o. Quiet waters run deep
p. No striving
q. A calmness to people in this area
r. Serve because we have been served and God’s grace is sufficient
s. Serving from purpose and wholeness
t. Bringing trash to the Cross
u. Embracing truth and disarming lies
v. Purified
6. Learning how to love
a. Humor—The ability to laugh at yourself is the most unmistakable behavioral characteristic of humility
b. Joy- a perspective i.e. death, you face blindside issues (the believer does not have a dark side, he or she has a blind side)
c. Confronts most issues without anger
d. Power by wisdom
e. Motivation is peace
f. Inside-out
g. By faith, not by sight
h. Trust
i. Compassion
j. Contentment
k. Open hand-All is God
l. His presence
m. Calmness
n. John 14: We don’t have to strive to know the Spirit. God is present—a call to awareness of His presence
o. We choose to draw and influence and encourage, as opposed to forcing and coercing and demanding
p. Job- not about suffering, about trust
q. We need to gain the confidence that God is able to care for us
r. Your obedience needs to come on basis of relationship
s. We need to learn to be a drawn by the Spirit
t. Peace
u. We are most like God in how we think and least like God in what we can do
v. Discovering true self
w. Working out of the image of God in us
x. Boundaries- love waits, not controlling, depends on the other person to move forward
y. God is not a child abuser; he won’t make us do things that are bad for us
z. cf. Henri Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus or Moving from Solitude to Community to Outreach (look for his references to healing)
aa. From a healed place we start outward again
Source: Hud Mcwilliams Field Orientation
Both a light and a dark side to all stages
0. Behavior-Human Doing
a. Relational but not making deep connections.
b. We hold on to a life that can not bring life
c. Behavioral change will not drive the change your soul longs for.
d. At this stage, peace to us is the absence of conflict.
e. Usually there is a deep sense of need
f. We are moving from being worthless to being worthy, if God is working in us.
1. Acknowledging that God exists
a. We think:
i. That we are too bad to be loved. “If you really knew me, if you really saw my heart, you wouldn’t love me. If we are abused by our caretakers/parents we think the reason they treat us bad is because we deserve it.
ii. Without faith, it is impossible to please God
iii. If I please God, then I will have his love
iv. I’m too good to be loved; I don’t need it. I’m in charge.
b. Motivations can be fear, comparison, competition, guilt, or striving. Most people can’t get past the fact that we are truly loved.
c. Loving God for self’s sake
d. Learn the way
2. Rules and dependency
a. Discipline + Discipleship
b. Power by association –teacher/listener
c. Trying to get it right
d. Look for systems
e. Attractional—association with a place
f. Argues out of righteousness
g. Listening
h. Study
i. Children built to play—do we make them study before relationship?
3. Production + Serving
a. Doing
b. Power by achievement
c. Programs
d. Not ok to be vulnerable
e. Performance
f. Perfection
g. Tired and proud
h. 85% of people don’t get past here
i. Motivation by winning and competing
j. Goal of personal success
Now we move to:
Human Being
Taking out the trash in our lives
We don’t start here unless we believe God is absolutely good.
We don’t naturally jump into 4-6.
We need to create an environment around ours and other people’s 4-6.
We can’t create a program for 4-6.
You are being drawn.
Motivation- Cease striving. If you loose your life for my sake you get it back.
In the garden we wanted to be independent. That will try to get in the way. We are moving from independence to dependence on God.
We can’t make this leap based on experiences. Experience causes us to believe that we are in an impossible situation. Trust over doing. How do react if our experience does not line up with what we expect. We have been faithful, why is God doing this??
We need to know what God is doing and why in order to trust Him and that is backwards.
Inner growth and maturity takes place here. Here peace loves anxiety.
Start to understand that I breathed my last breath because God is pleased to do so.
None of these steps come naturally.
Ego is removed in 4-6. We are still not confident and don’t believe that we are truly loved by God.
No one is in just one stage. We move all the time. Like manna it rots the next day. We need our daily bread.
Disciplines- We sometimes want to use the disciplines on the 2-3 side as a vehicle to push us through the others. Should do 1 thing to us: give us presuppositions. (I think to create space for God to move too) Legalism reigns here.
We will never be in a circumstance where we cannot love.
The transformative change comes from the Spirit of God working in us.
4. Inner Work
a. Unsettling stage, answers are no longer satisfactory
b. We have to give up the dream that 1-3 will bring us life.
c. Motivators are Hope and Holiness
d. We must let go of what we look at as success—not a failure to have anxiety
e. This is where shame, fear, guilt, hurt, and pride are disarmed. Some people call it the dark night of the soul, but that’s not a good name for it.
f. Refining
g. Exploring the unresolved psychological and theological things in our lives
h. Disarming shame, fear, guilt, hurt, pride
i. Relies on grace
j. Needs to be reminded of God’s unconditional love
k. Grief starts the process
l. Anxiety is embraced for peace
m. Moving from independence to dependence
n. Inner growth + maturity take place here
o. Let the interior questioning come
p. Spirit working in the heart and mind
q. Praying through desert experiences
r. Pruning and refining
s. Making pure
t. Sanctifying
u. Purging
v. A key step to maturity
w. Identifying core lies
x. Returning between 2 shores
y. Most people turn around ½ way and retreat to familiar territory
z. Don’t try to bring up trash, it will come up w/out us looking for us (if we shelter ourselves, it comes up quicker)
aa. We don’t have anything that we shouldn’t put into the light
bb. We have this wellspring of things inside of us just waiting to get out
cc. I Timothy 4:4 Redeeming and not getting rid of ourselves
dd. We think God breaks us, but that is not how He operates. He won’t give us anything we can’t handle.
ee. Circumstances don’t make or break you, they reveal you
Healing is necessary for our souls. In this stage, we start outward again. The power is the power of purpose. Our calling is to Jesus not a place or an action or talent. We need to be independent from our circumstances. Powered by purpose. If our purpose is to further the kingdom why can’t we yield to something bigger than us. We are also to bow to marriage and not have marriage bow to us.
5. Healing
a. Yielding to God for kingdom transformation
b. Reliant on God’s goodness
c. Wholeness
d. Surrender, submit, slave,
e. Many people call this transformation.
f. Power by purpose
g. Empathy
h. God is good
i. Uncompromisingly, He is the center
j. Motivator- to empower others.
k. We move from being worthy to being unworthy.
l. Gratefulness.
m. More substance in relationships
n. Have others in mind
o. Quiet waters run deep
p. No striving
q. A calmness to people in this area
r. Serve because we have been served and God’s grace is sufficient
s. Serving from purpose and wholeness
t. Bringing trash to the Cross
u. Embracing truth and disarming lies
v. Purified
6. Learning how to love
a. Humor—The ability to laugh at yourself is the most unmistakable behavioral characteristic of humility
b. Joy- a perspective i.e. death, you face blindside issues (the believer does not have a dark side, he or she has a blind side)
c. Confronts most issues without anger
d. Power by wisdom
e. Motivation is peace
f. Inside-out
g. By faith, not by sight
h. Trust
i. Compassion
j. Contentment
k. Open hand-All is God
l. His presence
m. Calmness
n. John 14: We don’t have to strive to know the Spirit. God is present—a call to awareness of His presence
o. We choose to draw and influence and encourage, as opposed to forcing and coercing and demanding
p. Job- not about suffering, about trust
q. We need to gain the confidence that God is able to care for us
r. Your obedience needs to come on basis of relationship
s. We need to learn to be a drawn by the Spirit
t. Peace
u. We are most like God in how we think and least like God in what we can do
v. Discovering true self
w. Working out of the image of God in us
x. Boundaries- love waits, not controlling, depends on the other person to move forward
y. God is not a child abuser; he won’t make us do things that are bad for us
z. cf. Henri Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus or Moving from Solitude to Community to Outreach (look for his references to healing)
aa. From a healed place we start outward again
Source: Hud Mcwilliams Field Orientation
Reality check
Good News
All who are justified experience reconciliation with the Father, full remission of sins, transition from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Jesus declares the present reality of the kingdom of God), the reality of being a new creature in Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. They enjoy access to the Father with all the peace and joy that this brings.
The heart of the Gospel is that our holy, loving Creator, confronted with human hostility and rebellion, has chosen in his own freedom and faithfulness to become our holy, loving Redeemer and Restorer. The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).
Through the Gospel we learn that we human beings, who were made for fellowship with God, are by nature--that is, "in Adam" (1 Cor. 15:22) --dead in sin, unresponsive to and separating from our Maker.
Yet God in grace took the initiative to reconcile us to himself through the sinless life and vicarious death of his beloved Son (Eph. 2:4–10; Rom. 3:21–24).
Father sent the Son to free us from the dominion of sin and Satan, and to make us God’s children and friends. Jesus paid our penalty in our place on his cross, satisfying the retributive demands of divine justice by shedding his blood in sacrifice and so making possible justification for all who trust in him (Rom. 3:25–26). The Bible describes this mighty substitutionary transaction as the achieving of ransom, reconciliation, redemption, propitiation, and conquest of evil powers (Matt. 20:28; 2 Cor. 5:18–21; Rom. 3:23–25; John 12:31; Col. 2:15). It secures for us a restored relationship with God that brings pardon and peace, acceptance and access, and adoption into God’s family (Col. 1:20, 2:13–14; Rom. 5:1–2; Gal. 4:4–7; 1 Pet. 3:18). The faith in God and in Christ to which the Gospel calls us is a trustful outgoing of our hearts to lay hold of these promised and proffered benefits.
This Gospel further proclaims the bodily resurrection, ascension, and enthronement of Jesus as evidence of the efficacy of his once-for-all sacrifice for us, of the reality of his present personal ministry to us, and of the certainty of his future return to glorify us (1 Cor. 15; Heb. 1:1–4, 2:1–18, 4:14–16, 7:1–10:25). In the life of faith as the Gospel presents it, believers are united with their risen Lord, communing with him, and looking to him in repentance and hope for empowering through the Holy Spirit, so that henceforth they may not sin but serve him truly.
God’s justification of those who trust him, according to the Gospel, is a decisive transition, here and now, from a state of condemnation and wrath because of their sins to one of acceptance and favor by virtue of Jesus’ flawless obedience culminating in his voluntary sin-bearing death. God "justifies the wicked" (ungodly: Rom. 4:5) by imputing (reckoning, crediting, counting, accounting) righteousness to them and ceasing to count their sins against them (Rom. 4:1–8). Sinners receive through faith in Christ alone "the gift of righteousness" (Rom. 1:17, 5:17; Phil. 3:9) and thus be come "the righteousness of God" in him who was "made sin" for them (2 Cor. 5:21).
As our sins were reckoned to Christ, so Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us. This is justification by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. All we bring to the transaction is our need of it. Our faith in the God who bestows it, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is itself the fruit of God’s grace. Faith links us savingly to Jesus, but inasmuch as it involves an acknowledgment that we have no merit of our own, it is confessedly not a meritorious work.
The Gospel assures us that all who have en trusted their lives to Jesus Christ are born-again children of God (John 1:12), indwelt, empowered, and assured of their status and hope by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 7:6, 8:9–17). The moment we truly believe in Christ, the Father declares us righteous in him and begins conforming us to his likeness. Genuine faith acknowledges and depends upon Jesus as Lord and shows itself in growing obedience to the divine commands, though this contributes nothing to the ground of our justification (James 2:14–26; Heb. 6:1–12).
By his sanctifying grace, Christ works within us through faith, renewing our fallen nature and leading us to real maturity, that measure of development which is meant by "the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). The Gospel calls us to live as obedient servants of Christ and as his emissaries in the world, doing justice, loving mercy, and helping all in need, thus seeking to bear witness to the kingdom of Christ. At death, Christ takes the believer to himself (Phil. 1:21) for unimaginable joy in the ceaseless worship of God (Rev. 22:1–5).
Salvation in its full sense is from the guilt of sin in the past, the power of sin in the present, and the presence of sin in the future. Thus, while in foretaste believers enjoy salvation now, they still await its fullness (Mark 14:61–62; Heb. 9:28). Salvation is a Trinitarian reality, initiated by the Father, implemented by the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit. It has a global dimension, for God’s plan is to save believers out of every tribe and tongue (Rev. 5:9) to be his church, a new humanity, the people of God, the body and bride of Christ, and the community of the Holy Spirit. All the heirs of final salvation are called here and now to serve their Lord and each other in love, to share in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings, and to work together to make Christ known to the whole world.
We learn from the Gospel that, as all have sinned, so all who do not receive Christ will be judged according to their just deserts as measured by God’s holy law, and face eternal retributive punishment.
We affirm that the doctrine of the imputation (reckoning or counting) both of our sins to Christ and of his righteousness to us, whereby our sins are fully forgiven and we are fully accepted, is essential to the biblical Gospel (2 Cor. 5:19–21).
We deny that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ infused into us or by any righteousness that is thought to inhere within us.
We affirm that the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified is properly his own, which he achieved apart from us, in and by his perfect obedience. This righteousness is counted, reckoned, or imputed to us by the forensic (that is, legal) declaration of God, as the sole ground of our justification.
We deny that any works we perform at any stage of our existence add to the merit of Christ or earn for us any merit that contributes in any way to the ground of our justification (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5).
We affirm that, while all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are in the process of being made holy and conformed to the image of Christ, those consequences of justification are not its ground. God declares us just, remits our sins, and adopts us as his children, by his grace alone, and through faith alone, because of Christ alone, while we are still sinners (Rom. 4:5).
We deny that believers must be inherently righteous by virtue of their cooperation with God’s life-transforming grace before God will declare them justified in Christ. We are justified while we are still sinners.
We affirm that saving faith results in sanctification, the transformation of life in growing conformity to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification means ongoing repentance, a life of turning from sin to serve Jesus Christ in grateful reliance on him as one’s Lord and Master (Gal. 5:22–25; Rom. 8:4, 13–14).
We reject any view of justification which divorces it from our sanctifying union with Christ and our increasing conformity to his image through prayer, repentance, cross-bearing, and life in the Spirit.
We affirm that, although true doctrine is vital for spiritual health and well-being, we are not saved by doctrine. Doctrine is necessary to inform us how we may be saved by Christ, but it is Christ who saves. We deny that the doctrines of the Gospel can be rejected without harm. Denial of the Gospel brings spiritual ruin and exposes us to God’s judgment.
Who are you?
Do you believe a part of you is more than material?
What does it mean to be created in God’s image?
How does God act in this world?
Can God move in people’s lives who don’t have the Holy Spirit?
What happens when we are justified?
What God doing now in you?
In the world?
What do you believe will happen after death?
Sources: Christianity Today- 'The Gospel: A Call to Evangelical Unity'
All who are justified experience reconciliation with the Father, full remission of sins, transition from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Jesus declares the present reality of the kingdom of God), the reality of being a new creature in Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. They enjoy access to the Father with all the peace and joy that this brings.
The heart of the Gospel is that our holy, loving Creator, confronted with human hostility and rebellion, has chosen in his own freedom and faithfulness to become our holy, loving Redeemer and Restorer. The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).
Through the Gospel we learn that we human beings, who were made for fellowship with God, are by nature--that is, "in Adam" (1 Cor. 15:22) --dead in sin, unresponsive to and separating from our Maker.
Yet God in grace took the initiative to reconcile us to himself through the sinless life and vicarious death of his beloved Son (Eph. 2:4–10; Rom. 3:21–24).
Father sent the Son to free us from the dominion of sin and Satan, and to make us God’s children and friends. Jesus paid our penalty in our place on his cross, satisfying the retributive demands of divine justice by shedding his blood in sacrifice and so making possible justification for all who trust in him (Rom. 3:25–26). The Bible describes this mighty substitutionary transaction as the achieving of ransom, reconciliation, redemption, propitiation, and conquest of evil powers (Matt. 20:28; 2 Cor. 5:18–21; Rom. 3:23–25; John 12:31; Col. 2:15). It secures for us a restored relationship with God that brings pardon and peace, acceptance and access, and adoption into God’s family (Col. 1:20, 2:13–14; Rom. 5:1–2; Gal. 4:4–7; 1 Pet. 3:18). The faith in God and in Christ to which the Gospel calls us is a trustful outgoing of our hearts to lay hold of these promised and proffered benefits.
This Gospel further proclaims the bodily resurrection, ascension, and enthronement of Jesus as evidence of the efficacy of his once-for-all sacrifice for us, of the reality of his present personal ministry to us, and of the certainty of his future return to glorify us (1 Cor. 15; Heb. 1:1–4, 2:1–18, 4:14–16, 7:1–10:25). In the life of faith as the Gospel presents it, believers are united with their risen Lord, communing with him, and looking to him in repentance and hope for empowering through the Holy Spirit, so that henceforth they may not sin but serve him truly.
God’s justification of those who trust him, according to the Gospel, is a decisive transition, here and now, from a state of condemnation and wrath because of their sins to one of acceptance and favor by virtue of Jesus’ flawless obedience culminating in his voluntary sin-bearing death. God "justifies the wicked" (ungodly: Rom. 4:5) by imputing (reckoning, crediting, counting, accounting) righteousness to them and ceasing to count their sins against them (Rom. 4:1–8). Sinners receive through faith in Christ alone "the gift of righteousness" (Rom. 1:17, 5:17; Phil. 3:9) and thus be come "the righteousness of God" in him who was "made sin" for them (2 Cor. 5:21).
As our sins were reckoned to Christ, so Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us. This is justification by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. All we bring to the transaction is our need of it. Our faith in the God who bestows it, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is itself the fruit of God’s grace. Faith links us savingly to Jesus, but inasmuch as it involves an acknowledgment that we have no merit of our own, it is confessedly not a meritorious work.
The Gospel assures us that all who have en trusted their lives to Jesus Christ are born-again children of God (John 1:12), indwelt, empowered, and assured of their status and hope by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 7:6, 8:9–17). The moment we truly believe in Christ, the Father declares us righteous in him and begins conforming us to his likeness. Genuine faith acknowledges and depends upon Jesus as Lord and shows itself in growing obedience to the divine commands, though this contributes nothing to the ground of our justification (James 2:14–26; Heb. 6:1–12).
By his sanctifying grace, Christ works within us through faith, renewing our fallen nature and leading us to real maturity, that measure of development which is meant by "the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). The Gospel calls us to live as obedient servants of Christ and as his emissaries in the world, doing justice, loving mercy, and helping all in need, thus seeking to bear witness to the kingdom of Christ. At death, Christ takes the believer to himself (Phil. 1:21) for unimaginable joy in the ceaseless worship of God (Rev. 22:1–5).
Salvation in its full sense is from the guilt of sin in the past, the power of sin in the present, and the presence of sin in the future. Thus, while in foretaste believers enjoy salvation now, they still await its fullness (Mark 14:61–62; Heb. 9:28). Salvation is a Trinitarian reality, initiated by the Father, implemented by the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit. It has a global dimension, for God’s plan is to save believers out of every tribe and tongue (Rev. 5:9) to be his church, a new humanity, the people of God, the body and bride of Christ, and the community of the Holy Spirit. All the heirs of final salvation are called here and now to serve their Lord and each other in love, to share in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings, and to work together to make Christ known to the whole world.
We learn from the Gospel that, as all have sinned, so all who do not receive Christ will be judged according to their just deserts as measured by God’s holy law, and face eternal retributive punishment.
We affirm that the doctrine of the imputation (reckoning or counting) both of our sins to Christ and of his righteousness to us, whereby our sins are fully forgiven and we are fully accepted, is essential to the biblical Gospel (2 Cor. 5:19–21).
We deny that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ infused into us or by any righteousness that is thought to inhere within us.
We affirm that the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified is properly his own, which he achieved apart from us, in and by his perfect obedience. This righteousness is counted, reckoned, or imputed to us by the forensic (that is, legal) declaration of God, as the sole ground of our justification.
We deny that any works we perform at any stage of our existence add to the merit of Christ or earn for us any merit that contributes in any way to the ground of our justification (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5).
We affirm that, while all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are in the process of being made holy and conformed to the image of Christ, those consequences of justification are not its ground. God declares us just, remits our sins, and adopts us as his children, by his grace alone, and through faith alone, because of Christ alone, while we are still sinners (Rom. 4:5).
We deny that believers must be inherently righteous by virtue of their cooperation with God’s life-transforming grace before God will declare them justified in Christ. We are justified while we are still sinners.
We affirm that saving faith results in sanctification, the transformation of life in growing conformity to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification means ongoing repentance, a life of turning from sin to serve Jesus Christ in grateful reliance on him as one’s Lord and Master (Gal. 5:22–25; Rom. 8:4, 13–14).
We reject any view of justification which divorces it from our sanctifying union with Christ and our increasing conformity to his image through prayer, repentance, cross-bearing, and life in the Spirit.
We affirm that, although true doctrine is vital for spiritual health and well-being, we are not saved by doctrine. Doctrine is necessary to inform us how we may be saved by Christ, but it is Christ who saves. We deny that the doctrines of the Gospel can be rejected without harm. Denial of the Gospel brings spiritual ruin and exposes us to God’s judgment.
Who are you?
Do you believe a part of you is more than material?
What does it mean to be created in God’s image?
How does God act in this world?
Can God move in people’s lives who don’t have the Holy Spirit?
What happens when we are justified?
What God doing now in you?
In the world?
What do you believe will happen after death?
Sources: Christianity Today- 'The Gospel: A Call to Evangelical Unity'
Stretched scripture
S t r e t c h e d !!
Culture Shock (use tree)
Cultural Differences
Who we are (spirit > body) in Christ
World vs Kingdom in
Our souls (lies, fruit, Sanctification)
Inner Work (Hud development)
True faced (vital friends)
Character Matrix (what comes out in times of stretching)
Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15 :4-5
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2Cor 3:18
From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:13
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
Romans 1:25
Culture Shock (use tree)
Cultural Differences
Who we are (spirit > body) in Christ
World vs Kingdom in
Our souls (lies, fruit, Sanctification)
Inner Work (Hud development)
True faced (vital friends)
Character Matrix (what comes out in times of stretching)
Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15 :4-5
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2Cor 3:18
From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:13
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
Romans 1:25
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Life Track and life map
YOUR LIFE TRACK
Our life experience is made up of (i) the events that happened and (ii) how we processed them. The goal of this exercise is not to reminisce nor to gather facts and figures, but rather to gain a clearer picture of the main events that have marked your life and have made you the person you are today.
Place the main events or « landmarks » on this graph
What are your best memories?What made them so good?What do they tell you about yourself? Look at the challenges you have had to overcome; what internal resource enabled you to overcome them? What do they tell you about yourself? If you could « rewrite » your own story, what, if anything, would you do differently?What “roles” have you played in your life? Which ones do/did you particularly enjoy? Which ones were less comfortable? How come you got to play them? Using this graph as a starting point, write a short résumé of how life has made you the person you are, from childhood, through to adolescence, your professional roles, right up to today.How do you imagine other people saw you at each point in your life, how do you imagine they see you today and … if you’re up to it … how do you imagine they will see you in 10 yrs from now?
Sources: Performance Consultants
From CAI
Life Mapping (via a personal timeline)
I. What we mean by life mapping and timelines
A. A “life map” is your unique way of representing your personal journey to date with God.
It involves seeing key aspects of your life in reference to one another, kind of like seeing various cities and topographical features on a map. These help orient us and give us a better sense of direction toward our destination (i.e. life purpose). Your life map is essentially a visual depiction of your life topography, from birth until the present day.
B. Many people choose a linear, chronological approach to represent their personal journey.
This is known as a “timeline”. (There are other nonlinear ways to represent your life
history; but we will focus on timelines, as the principles remain the same regardless of method).
II. What a timeline can do for me
A. A timeline can help me ___FOCUS____ in on ___KEY ASPECTS___ of my development:
1. ____BOUNDARIES (MAJOR TRANSITIONS, PARADIGM SHIFTS)____ in my life
2. ____CRITICAL INCIDENTS (UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES THAT ARE FORMATIVE)_____
3. _____INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE (VALUES OFTEN ARE IMPRESSED UPON US IN THIS WAY_
4. _____KEY LESSONS LEARNED_______
Note: Making a visually explicit map of my life history also enables me to better explain myself to others – to help them understand me and my journey with God to date.
B. The timeline helps me ____LABEL______ developmental stages of my life.
(SEE ENCLOSED CLINTON’S EXAMPLES OF DEV. STAGES)
C. A timeline allows me to continue to __REFLECT__ on my life and to _LIFE-SCHEDULE__.
Gaining Perspective through Your Personal “Life-Map”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Each leader is unique. God shapes each of us over an entire lifetime for unique purposes. He has a plan (calling or purpose) for our lives. And He has created each of us in the hope that we will seek to discover and live-out that special life-course which He Himself has prepared in advance for us.
Coming to understand the way God is attempting to orchestrate our lives involves a process of self- discovery. This process is aided by personal reflection, prayer and processing with other mature leaders. It is also helped along by comparing how God generally works in developing Christian leaders over a lifetime.
Some leaders, through personal journaling or recording of a “spiritual autobiography” (please read and interact over the article by Richard Peace, which we will use at a later stage in Leading Edge), make good progress toward understanding their life purpose. These types of exercises help them articulate and, hence, better align their lives with, the special journey God has intended for them. While these are very useful, an even simpler way to begin to get a grasp on God’s hand at work in our lives is via a “life map”. This is a visual representation of our journey, with key phases, people, events, key lessons learned, and so forth highlighted in a linear or mosaic fashion (whatever makes most sense for us, individually, as the designer).
The Life Map when completed provides a snapshot view of our lives, which can:
1. Encourage us by allowing us to see God’s hand operating in our lives;
2. Help us identify various developmental stages in our growth as leaders;
3. Be an effective way to communicate our personal journey to others;
4. Serve as a tool to help us evaluate and plan our leadership future;
The next page describes how we can get started with our personal life map. It will look messy and, perhaps, uncomfortably chaotic after the first round. But, give it a shot! When we come together in our first small group session, we will review the life-map concept and look at how to take it further.
III. Getting Started with Your Life-Map, the “Post-it Note” Way
Bet you never imagined “post-it notes” could aid the diagramming of your spiritual history! Well, they can and here is how:
STEP 1:
Brainstorm the significant people, events and circumstances that have shaped your life.
* Think back to your earliest memories and work your way to the present.
* As images and thoughts come to mind, record these on YELLOW post- it notes
* Only one item per note, using one word or a short phrase to describe the actual event
* Place the notes on the table in front of you, in no particular order
* This is simply BRAINSTORMING, so don’t explain, feel guilty, or get hung up on details
STEP 2:
Pink is for PAIN.
* Notice that not all post-it notes are positive (i.e. they were painful at the time)
* Re-write those painful items on pink post-it notes
* Some painful experiences are very personal and you won’t want them on a post-it note for
the world to see. In those cases, use symbols or code-words which you understand.
STEP 3:
Arrange the notes in some kind of design, order or picture which makes sense to you (using an A3 sized page)
STEP 4:
Use larger post-it notes to label the main chapters or seasons of your journey.
STEP 5:
Green is for key people and mentors in your life. Re-write a person’s name on a green post-it note who was influential in your development at a specific time.
STEP 6:
Blue is for lessons learned. Take a blue post-it note and write a short phrase or sentence describing the lessons you learned in a specific time or season.
Our life experience is made up of (i) the events that happened and (ii) how we processed them. The goal of this exercise is not to reminisce nor to gather facts and figures, but rather to gain a clearer picture of the main events that have marked your life and have made you the person you are today.
Place the main events or « landmarks » on this graph
What are your best memories?What made them so good?What do they tell you about yourself? Look at the challenges you have had to overcome; what internal resource enabled you to overcome them? What do they tell you about yourself? If you could « rewrite » your own story, what, if anything, would you do differently?What “roles” have you played in your life? Which ones do/did you particularly enjoy? Which ones were less comfortable? How come you got to play them? Using this graph as a starting point, write a short résumé of how life has made you the person you are, from childhood, through to adolescence, your professional roles, right up to today.How do you imagine other people saw you at each point in your life, how do you imagine they see you today and … if you’re up to it … how do you imagine they will see you in 10 yrs from now?
Sources: Performance Consultants
From CAI
Life Mapping (via a personal timeline)
I. What we mean by life mapping and timelines
A. A “life map” is your unique way of representing your personal journey to date with God.
It involves seeing key aspects of your life in reference to one another, kind of like seeing various cities and topographical features on a map. These help orient us and give us a better sense of direction toward our destination (i.e. life purpose). Your life map is essentially a visual depiction of your life topography, from birth until the present day.
B. Many people choose a linear, chronological approach to represent their personal journey.
This is known as a “timeline”. (There are other nonlinear ways to represent your life
history; but we will focus on timelines, as the principles remain the same regardless of method).
II. What a timeline can do for me
A. A timeline can help me ___FOCUS____ in on ___KEY ASPECTS___ of my development:
1. ____BOUNDARIES (MAJOR TRANSITIONS, PARADIGM SHIFTS)____ in my life
2. ____CRITICAL INCIDENTS (UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES THAT ARE FORMATIVE)_____
3. _____INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE (VALUES OFTEN ARE IMPRESSED UPON US IN THIS WAY_
4. _____KEY LESSONS LEARNED_______
Note: Making a visually explicit map of my life history also enables me to better explain myself to others – to help them understand me and my journey with God to date.
B. The timeline helps me ____LABEL______ developmental stages of my life.
(SEE ENCLOSED CLINTON’S EXAMPLES OF DEV. STAGES)
C. A timeline allows me to continue to __REFLECT__ on my life and to _LIFE-SCHEDULE__.
Gaining Perspective through Your Personal “Life-Map”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Each leader is unique. God shapes each of us over an entire lifetime for unique purposes. He has a plan (calling or purpose) for our lives. And He has created each of us in the hope that we will seek to discover and live-out that special life-course which He Himself has prepared in advance for us.
Coming to understand the way God is attempting to orchestrate our lives involves a process of self- discovery. This process is aided by personal reflection, prayer and processing with other mature leaders. It is also helped along by comparing how God generally works in developing Christian leaders over a lifetime.
Some leaders, through personal journaling or recording of a “spiritual autobiography” (please read and interact over the article by Richard Peace, which we will use at a later stage in Leading Edge), make good progress toward understanding their life purpose. These types of exercises help them articulate and, hence, better align their lives with, the special journey God has intended for them. While these are very useful, an even simpler way to begin to get a grasp on God’s hand at work in our lives is via a “life map”. This is a visual representation of our journey, with key phases, people, events, key lessons learned, and so forth highlighted in a linear or mosaic fashion (whatever makes most sense for us, individually, as the designer).
The Life Map when completed provides a snapshot view of our lives, which can:
1. Encourage us by allowing us to see God’s hand operating in our lives;
2. Help us identify various developmental stages in our growth as leaders;
3. Be an effective way to communicate our personal journey to others;
4. Serve as a tool to help us evaluate and plan our leadership future;
The next page describes how we can get started with our personal life map. It will look messy and, perhaps, uncomfortably chaotic after the first round. But, give it a shot! When we come together in our first small group session, we will review the life-map concept and look at how to take it further.
III. Getting Started with Your Life-Map, the “Post-it Note” Way
Bet you never imagined “post-it notes” could aid the diagramming of your spiritual history! Well, they can and here is how:
STEP 1:
Brainstorm the significant people, events and circumstances that have shaped your life.
* Think back to your earliest memories and work your way to the present.
* As images and thoughts come to mind, record these on YELLOW post- it notes
* Only one item per note, using one word or a short phrase to describe the actual event
* Place the notes on the table in front of you, in no particular order
* This is simply BRAINSTORMING, so don’t explain, feel guilty, or get hung up on details
STEP 2:
Pink is for PAIN.
* Notice that not all post-it notes are positive (i.e. they were painful at the time)
* Re-write those painful items on pink post-it notes
* Some painful experiences are very personal and you won’t want them on a post-it note for
the world to see. In those cases, use symbols or code-words which you understand.
STEP 3:
Arrange the notes in some kind of design, order or picture which makes sense to you (using an A3 sized page)
STEP 4:
Use larger post-it notes to label the main chapters or seasons of your journey.
STEP 5:
Green is for key people and mentors in your life. Re-write a person’s name on a green post-it note who was influential in your development at a specific time.
STEP 6:
Blue is for lessons learned. Take a blue post-it note and write a short phrase or sentence describing the lessons you learned in a specific time or season.
Discovering your Divine Design front page
God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him
Genesis 1:27
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139: 13-14
You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. … Christ is all, and is in all.
Colossians 3: 9-11
Discovering Your Diving Design
Finding the image of God in us and the gifts of the Holy Spirit working through us
Spiritual Pathways
Love Languages
Temperaments
Values
Social Base
Life Experiences
Strengths
Spiritual Gifts
Genesis 1:27
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139: 13-14
You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. … Christ is all, and is in all.
Colossians 3: 9-11
Discovering Your Diving Design
Finding the image of God in us and the gifts of the Holy Spirit working through us
Spiritual Pathways
Love Languages
Temperaments
Values
Social Base
Life Experiences
Strengths
Spiritual Gifts
Missional Passional Vissional
Leader- not just people following them and serving their vision.
But a leader must cultivate God’s vision for the people that are serving you. Lead relationally and not visional.
God created us individually to to a redemptive work. People who will respond to each one of our voices. Do not suffocate each person’s individual voice that God put in them.
Presume that God has given each one of us a vision as clear as our own. This takes a lot of trust.
Starts with Vision- 10%-- Focus is future –where we are going -direction is thinking forward
Mission- 60% What I’m doing –Focus is about work –what it is that we are doing and when –wants to see outward change
Passion- 30% Serve individuals – focus is cause --who and why is this affecting --direction is hoping for inward change
Vision- the power of seeing. A visional leader is able to perceive and foresee the future. Sees the hope of Christ in others. Can be any number of people that they are casting a forward thinking vision. Their reality is the world of the unseen.
Nature of visional leader is to inspire, motivate, move and change. Inspired by movement and change.
Cautions about working with a visional leader- there will be an ongoing need to (make and effort to) trim transform and rationalize the vision. The vision is huge, so they need to trim it back for the group to get it.
It needs to go from an idea to a work. When I give my idea over to .. they transform it into reality. Will say how it will impact people’s lives.
Missional leader- knows the work they are here to do. They see things that need to happen. (achiever, activator) Their work is taking them somewhere. They have a direction and they are going there. Their work is part of their pursuit of truth.
Nature is doing, active, achievement. Hands on. Give organization and structure. Responsibility.
Cautions- there is an ongoing need to symbolize (to the vision people), personalize (to passion people), and simplify (only give a few things that need to be done at once).
Can help the passional leaders get stuff done.
Passional leaders- the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for people. Core is an unexplainable drive to meet the needs of others. They sacrifice for the cause of God’ people or all people… time, money, resources. Sense what is going on with the people and need to do something about it. Can be individualistic or global cause.
Nature- love, compassion, nurture, understanding.
Concerns- ongoing need for patience (when a passional leader talks to a missional leader explain it takes time for change), understanding (help them understand what is really at stake to visional leader), explaination (explain what you feel Some have a hard time helping if we don’t understand).
Pvm
You don’t have to have your fingerprints on every part of a project. Trust and hand off. To use your gifts.
Too many teams struggle with sight lines. Face outward. Not inward toward each other. The group is the center of the circle with Christ at the center. You agree on the cause and invest in each others lives but we are not meant to keep too many tabs on each other. Outward, missional focus.
Who you are
What environment
Always a why and when for right now.
Be careful of how you define love. Not always meeting all emotional needs.
Ask how do you want to be loved and not telling people how you are going to love them.
Let passional leaders care. That is what they need. Let a visional leader share vision with you. That is how they love you.
Sources: Mike and Brian and Mcmanus
Strengths Finder Themes
Double click the images to make them larger.
Restorative- we can see problems going to occur. Anything can be made whole. Restoration of all things. Can point you out of trouble. Typically don’t speak up.
Restoative includer- restoration sounds negative- want to be included more than speak up. (not a power struggle to; just want to be heard)
Relater- know intimately, more people specifically. Come to faith through relationships, mentors.
Positivity- negative conversations make you physically tired. Choose to believe that somehow it will work.
How do we feel valued? Some feel valued when people listen to them and they can have some input. With others that doesn’t matter. Some it’s time.
Respect is key to team dynamics.
Learners- when it gets predictable they are ready to move on.
Intellection- takes time to process. Lindsey is a verbal processor. “Here’s what I’m thinking about right now.” “I will get back to you in ____ days” give them the respect to give a time. Write the agenda items that we want to talk about to Darrin.
Input- ability to retain stuff. Collection of different kinds of info.
Includer- Identify with the margins or being on the outside.
Harmony- sacrifice themselves for sake of can’t we all get along or they take action
Focus- needs shorter specific goals. Refine role in yg to smaller role that he can stick with. Want to give themselves away to things that matter. Very clear.
Empathy- emotional thermometer. Not easy to put emotions to words.
Developer- incremental improvement. One step at a time. Progress. Need to see progress. Not necessarily fast but steady.
Deliberative
Context- New idea makes them pivot backwards. What has happened in the past to make them
Connectedness- what we see is caused by God or a higher cause. See the patterns. Physical things have spiritual meaning.
Competition- not just about winning. We want to measure ourselves by something else. Is about themselves but want
Communication- is desperate to be understood. Will tell the same story many times to make sure they are understood. Help you find word to what is inside of you. When communication fails with them you criticize them. Then you just want to prove that what you said makes sense more than communicate you idea. Good- “Could you say that in other words”
Command- Don’t have to be in charge. Can be shepherd’s best friend. Collie. Happy to be number two. If we think the shepherd will take the sheep off the cliff than we will take over.
Analytical- want to punch holes in you idea. How sound is it? Not Personal! Include them early in your projects; they are less likely to punch holes in things they create.
Adaptability- works best with clear cut goals and boundaries. Expect and need them to change.
Activator- work hard right away
Achiever- believe they are the work that they do. Love lists for joy of crossing things off. Need to learn to work and celebrate. Vacations are usually hard for achievers.
Sources: Vision Trekk and Strengths Finder
Restorative- we can see problems going to occur. Anything can be made whole. Restoration of all things. Can point you out of trouble. Typically don’t speak up.
Restoative includer- restoration sounds negative- want to be included more than speak up. (not a power struggle to; just want to be heard)
Relater- know intimately, more people specifically. Come to faith through relationships, mentors.
Positivity- negative conversations make you physically tired. Choose to believe that somehow it will work.
How do we feel valued? Some feel valued when people listen to them and they can have some input. With others that doesn’t matter. Some it’s time.
Respect is key to team dynamics.
Learners- when it gets predictable they are ready to move on.
Intellection- takes time to process. Lindsey is a verbal processor. “Here’s what I’m thinking about right now.” “I will get back to you in ____ days” give them the respect to give a time. Write the agenda items that we want to talk about to Darrin.
Input- ability to retain stuff. Collection of different kinds of info.
Includer- Identify with the margins or being on the outside.
Harmony- sacrifice themselves for sake of can’t we all get along or they take action
Focus- needs shorter specific goals. Refine role in yg to smaller role that he can stick with. Want to give themselves away to things that matter. Very clear.
Empathy- emotional thermometer. Not easy to put emotions to words.
Developer- incremental improvement. One step at a time. Progress. Need to see progress. Not necessarily fast but steady.
Deliberative
Context- New idea makes them pivot backwards. What has happened in the past to make them
Connectedness- what we see is caused by God or a higher cause. See the patterns. Physical things have spiritual meaning.
Competition- not just about winning. We want to measure ourselves by something else. Is about themselves but want
Communication- is desperate to be understood. Will tell the same story many times to make sure they are understood. Help you find word to what is inside of you. When communication fails with them you criticize them. Then you just want to prove that what you said makes sense more than communicate you idea. Good- “Could you say that in other words”
Command- Don’t have to be in charge. Can be shepherd’s best friend. Collie. Happy to be number two. If we think the shepherd will take the sheep off the cliff than we will take over.
Analytical- want to punch holes in you idea. How sound is it? Not Personal! Include them early in your projects; they are less likely to punch holes in things they create.
Adaptability- works best with clear cut goals and boundaries. Expect and need them to change.
Activator- work hard right away
Achiever- believe they are the work that they do. Love lists for joy of crossing things off. Need to learn to work and celebrate. Vacations are usually hard for achievers.
Sources: Vision Trekk and Strengths Finder
Strengths Finder Overview
Double click on the images to make the larger.
Most people can’t put words to what God has put inside them.
Is anyone’s life better because of mine?-Mike
My calling is about me. You don’t know my calling. It’s personal.
God’s image in us… to draw that out.
Dream and envision what God can do in you.
Assumption “anyone can be good at anything if they just work hard enough and give them the right information.”
Not true.
14 billion brain cells firing at any given moment
450 mph that they fire
synaptic connections- only the strong and most used brain stems stay.
7-9 years old brain’s synapses are established.
3000-4000 number of decisions a person makes in a day. How you sit, food, most are instinctual.
15-22 is the finishing process to the brain pathways. (maybe this is why 80% of people come to Christ before they are 18)
2 million interviews conducted to create the strength’s finder.
400+ dominant patterns of thought, feeling, behavior
80,000 interviews with managers
Combined patterns and narrowed down to 34 themes
We get back top 5 but we get scored on all 34. There are three dominant themes that run the rest.
1 in 33.5 million is how unique we are statistically.
It takes 12.5 seconds to accurately answer someone’s question. That is why they give us 20.
Psychometric- a scientific tool that measures cognitive formation and function.
Assessment- psychological tool that measures a psychological response to a stimulus or question.
Q. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
1.7 mil people asked in many countries – 20% said yes.
Talent- a spontaneous, repetitive, natural reoccurring pattern of though, feeling, behavior.
Could be anything.
Talents are the building blocks of theme.
Theme- a grouping of common talents that possess recognizable skills, knowledge and experience.
We can start to understand why certain people act a certain way and how we see each other.
Strength- A theme productively applied. Must produce life in you and those around you.
Strengths have consistent near perfect performance.
You can loose track of time while doing your strength.
Fit- environmental fit- does my team or organization cultivate and sustain my
strengths?
Social fit- do people around me expect me to act in my strengths?
Personal fit- do I feel like I am in alignment with my team? Am I getting to use
my strengths repetitively? Am I seeing personal growth?
Strengths are descriptive and not prescriptive. The give words to what is already there. Strengths are morally neutral. No good strengths no bad strengths.
Healthy human development is a life long process
Source: Vision Trekk and Strengths Finder
Most people can’t put words to what God has put inside them.
Is anyone’s life better because of mine?-Mike
My calling is about me. You don’t know my calling. It’s personal.
God’s image in us… to draw that out.
Dream and envision what God can do in you.
Assumption “anyone can be good at anything if they just work hard enough and give them the right information.”
Not true.
14 billion brain cells firing at any given moment
450 mph that they fire
synaptic connections- only the strong and most used brain stems stay.
7-9 years old brain’s synapses are established.
3000-4000 number of decisions a person makes in a day. How you sit, food, most are instinctual.
15-22 is the finishing process to the brain pathways. (maybe this is why 80% of people come to Christ before they are 18)
2 million interviews conducted to create the strength’s finder.
400+ dominant patterns of thought, feeling, behavior
80,000 interviews with managers
Combined patterns and narrowed down to 34 themes
We get back top 5 but we get scored on all 34. There are three dominant themes that run the rest.
1 in 33.5 million is how unique we are statistically.
It takes 12.5 seconds to accurately answer someone’s question. That is why they give us 20.
Psychometric- a scientific tool that measures cognitive formation and function.
Assessment- psychological tool that measures a psychological response to a stimulus or question.
Q. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
1.7 mil people asked in many countries – 20% said yes.
Talent- a spontaneous, repetitive, natural reoccurring pattern of though, feeling, behavior.
Could be anything.
Talents are the building blocks of theme.
Theme- a grouping of common talents that possess recognizable skills, knowledge and experience.
We can start to understand why certain people act a certain way and how we see each other.
Strength- A theme productively applied. Must produce life in you and those around you.
Strengths have consistent near perfect performance.
You can loose track of time while doing your strength.
Fit- environmental fit- does my team or organization cultivate and sustain my
strengths?
Social fit- do people around me expect me to act in my strengths?
Personal fit- do I feel like I am in alignment with my team? Am I getting to use
my strengths repetitively? Am I seeing personal growth?
Strengths are descriptive and not prescriptive. The give words to what is already there. Strengths are morally neutral. No good strengths no bad strengths.
Healthy human development is a life long process
Source: Vision Trekk and Strengths Finder
Myers Briggs
Double click the images to make them bigger
Myers Brigg
Human behavior is not random.
Personality is predictable and classifiable. You can see it coming.
You have a preference in your personality. We do not want people to presume that we will act just as someone else
At your core you have attractions and propulsions due to our personality.
Most important distinction is the E vs the I. Because it describes the direction and focus of you energy. Will run out of energy when they are in their area of non-preference.
Most significant tension comes from P vs J because this address a perspective of time. It is about decisiveness. J now P later.
The most dominant function is S N and T F
They are the most reliable and consistent.
Where do you get your energy?
Introversion
Get their energy by the internal world. Cave. More contained. More receptive. Quiet. Need their space.
Extroversion
Energized by the external world. Crowd. More expressive. Very enthusiastic. Take initiation. More social.
What kind of information catches your attention?
Sensing- solid data, facts, practical, data, details, lay out the details.
INtuition- hunches, info from gut, imaginative, imagination is like fact to them,
Making decisions. What do they consider next?
Thinking- what do they know? Will exercise what they think is right. May think of your perspective but will not ask you for your perspective. They trust the information and data. Will work for intellectual response.
Feeling- how it affects others? A subjective process. Makes a decision because it brings harmony. Decision making person will involve you. Did it connect. Will work for emotion. Will respond to emotional dialogue.
How do you carry out a plan?
Judging- has a fixed plan. Decisive. Gives things order. Have structure. Timelines. Sometimes knows what it will look like when it is done. Don’t want input once the plan is decided, they just want to carry it out.
Perceiving- flexible. Everything is in flex. Open minded. Open ended. Flexible. Don’t want to offend. Pressure prompted.
Try the free tests today. Test one Source two
Sources- Vision Trekk
Myers Brigg
Human behavior is not random.
Personality is predictable and classifiable. You can see it coming.
You have a preference in your personality. We do not want people to presume that we will act just as someone else
At your core you have attractions and propulsions due to our personality.
Most important distinction is the E vs the I. Because it describes the direction and focus of you energy. Will run out of energy when they are in their area of non-preference.
Most significant tension comes from P vs J because this address a perspective of time. It is about decisiveness. J now P later.
The most dominant function is S N and T F
They are the most reliable and consistent.
Where do you get your energy?
Introversion
Get their energy by the internal world. Cave. More contained. More receptive. Quiet. Need their space.
Extroversion
Energized by the external world. Crowd. More expressive. Very enthusiastic. Take initiation. More social.
What kind of information catches your attention?
Sensing- solid data, facts, practical, data, details, lay out the details.
INtuition- hunches, info from gut, imaginative, imagination is like fact to them,
Making decisions. What do they consider next?
Thinking- what do they know? Will exercise what they think is right. May think of your perspective but will not ask you for your perspective. They trust the information and data. Will work for intellectual response.
Feeling- how it affects others? A subjective process. Makes a decision because it brings harmony. Decision making person will involve you. Did it connect. Will work for emotion. Will respond to emotional dialogue.
How do you carry out a plan?
Judging- has a fixed plan. Decisive. Gives things order. Have structure. Timelines. Sometimes knows what it will look like when it is done. Don’t want input once the plan is decided, they just want to carry it out.
Perceiving- flexible. Everything is in flex. Open minded. Open ended. Flexible. Don’t want to offend. Pressure prompted.
Try the free tests today. Test one Source two
Sources- Vision Trekk
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry
The word discipleship and the word discipline are the same word -- that has always fascinated me. Once you have made the choice to say, "Yes, I want to follow Jesus," the question is, "What disciplines will help me remain faithful to that choice?" If we want to be disciples of Jesus, we have to live a disciplined life.
By discipline, I do not mean control. If I know the discipline of psychology or of economics, I have a certain control over a body of knowledge. If I discipline my children, I want to have a little control over them.
But in the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up. Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the spiritual life, discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you hadn't planned or counted on.
I think three disciplines are important for us to remain faithful, so we not only become disciples, but also remain disciples. These disciplines are contained in one passage from Scripture with which we're familiar, but one that we may be surprised to find speaks about discipline.
"Now it happened in those days that Jesus went onto the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came, he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them and called them apostles: Simon, whom he called Peter; and his brother, Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, son of Alphaeus; Simon, called the Zealot; Judas, son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
"He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples. There was a great crowd of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and be cured of their diseases. And people tormented by unclean spirits were also cured. Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all" (Luke 6:12-19).
This is a beautiful story that moves from night to morning toafternoon. Jesus spent the night in solitude with God. In the morning, he gathered his apostles around him and formed community. In the afternoon, with his apostles, he went out and preached the Word and healed the sick.
Notice the order—from solitude to community to ministry. The night is for solitude; the morning for community; the afternoon for ministry.
So often in ministry, I have wanted to do it by myself. If it didn't work, I went to others and said, "Please!" searching for a community to help me. If that didn't work, maybe I'd start praying.
But the order that Jesus teaches us is the reverse. It begins by being with God in solitude; then it creates a fellowship, a community of people with whom the mission is being lived; and finally this community goes out together to heal and to proclaim good news.
I believe you can look at solitude, community, and ministry as three disciplines by which we create space for God. If we create space in which God can act and speak, something surprising will happen. You and I are called to these disciplines if we want to be disciples.
Solitude
Solitude is being with God and God alone. Is there any space for that in your life?
Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It's important because it's the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you "my beloved daughter," "my beloved son," "my beloved child." To pray is to let that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being.
Who am I? I am the beloved. That's the voice Jesus heard when he came out of the Jordan River: "You are my beloved; on you my favor rests." And Jesus says to you and to me that we are loved as he is loved. That same voice is there for you. When you are not claiming that voice, you cannot walk freely in this world.
Jesus listened to that voice all the time, and he was able to walk right through life. People were applauding him, laughing at him; praising him and rejecting him; calling "Hosanna!" and calling "Crucify!" But in the midst of that, Jesus knew one thing—I am the beloved; I am God's favorite one. He clung to that voice.
There are many other voices speaking—loudly: "Prove that you are the beloved." "Prove you're worth something." "Prove you have any contribution to make." "Do something relevant." "Be sure you make a name for yourself." "At least have some power—then people will love you; then people will say you're wonderful, you're great."
These voices are so strong in this world. These were the voices Jesus heard right after he heard "You are my beloved." Another voice said, "Prove you are the beloved. Do something. Change these stones into bread. Be sure you're famous. Jump from the temple, and you will be known. Grab some power so you have real influence. Don't you want some influence? Isn't that why you came?"
Jesus said, "No, I don't have to prove anything. I am already the beloved."
I love Rembrandt's painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. The father holds his son, holds his daughter, and touches his son and his daughter and says, "You are my beloved. I'm not going to ask you any questions. Wherever you have gone, whatever you have done, and whatever people say about you, you're my beloved. I hold you safe in my embrace. I touch you. I hold you safe under my wings. You can come home to me whose name is Compassionate, whose name is Love."
If you keep that in mind, you can deal with an enormous amount of success as well as an enormous amount of failure without losing your identity, because your identity is that you are the beloved. Long before your father and mother, your brothers and sisters, your teachers, your church, or any people touched you in a loving as well as in a wounding way—long before you were rejected by some person or praised by somebody else—that voice has been there always. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." That love is there before you were born and will be there after you die.
A life of fifty, sixty, seventy, or a hundred years is just a little moment in which you can say, "Yes, I love you too." God has become so vulnerable, so little, so dependent in a manger and on a cross and is begging us, "Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you really love me?"
That's where ministry starts, because your freedom is anchored in claiming your belovedness. That allows you to go into this world and touch people, heal them, speak with them, and make them aware that they are beloved, chosen, and blessed. When you discover your belovedness by God, you see the belovedness of other people and call that forth. It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved.
Now this is not easy. Jesus spent the night in prayer. That's a picture of the fact that prayer is not something you always feel. It's not a voice you always hear with these ears. It's not always an insight that suddenly comes to you in your little mind. (God's heart is greater than the human heart, God's mind is greater than the human mind, and God's light is so great that it might blind you and make you feel like you're in the night.)
But you have to pray. You have to listen to the voice who calls you the beloved, because otherwise you will run around begging for affirmation, for praise, for success. And then you're not free.
Oh, if we could sit for just one half hour a day doing nothing except taking a simple word from the gospel and putting it in front of us—say, "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." Say it three times, and we know it's not true, because we want many things. That's exactly why we're so nervous. But if we keep saying the truth, the real truth—"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want"—and let that truth descend from our mind into our heart, gradually those words are written on the walls of our inner holy place. That becomes the space in which we can receive our colleagues and our work, our family and our friends, and the people whom we will meet during the day.
The trouble is, as soon as you sit and become quiet, you think, Oh, I forgot this. I should call my friend. Later on I'm going to see him. Your inner life is like a banana tree filled with monkeys jumping up and down.
It's not easy to sit and trust that in solitude God will speak to you— not as a magical voice but that he will let you know something gradually over the years. And in that word from God you will find the inner place from which to live your life.
Solitude is where spiritual ministry begins. That's where Jesus listened to God. That's where we listen to God.
Sometimes I think of life as a big wagon wheel with many spokes. In the middle is the hub. Often in ministry, it looks like we are running around the rim trying to reach everybody. But God says, "Start in the hub; live in the hub. Then you will be connected with all the spokes, and you won't have to run so fast."
Community
It's precisely in the hub, in that communion with God, that we discover the call to community. It's remarkable that solitude always calls us to community. In solitude you realize you're part of a human family and that you want to lift something together.
By community, I don't mean formal communities. I mean families, friends, parishes, twelve step programs, prayer groups. Community is not an organization; community is a way of living: you gather around you people with whom you want to proclaim the truth that we are the beloved sons and daughters of God.
Community is not easy. Somebody once said, "Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives." In Jesus' community of twelve apostles, the last name was that of someone who was going to betray him. That person is always in your community somewhere; in the eyes of others, you might be that person.
I live in a community called Daybreak—one of over a hundred communities throughout the world where children, men, and women who are mentally disabled and those who assist them live together. We share all aspects of day today living. Nathan, Janet, and all the other people of our community know how hard it is and how beautiful it is to live together.
Why is it so important that solitude come before community? If we do not know we are the beloved sons and daughters of God, we're going to expect someone in the community to make us feel that way. They cannot. We'll expect someone to give us that perfect, unconditional love. But community is not loneliness grabbing onto loneliness: "I'm so lonely, and you're so lonely." It's solitude grabbing onto solitude: "I am the beloved; you are the beloved; together we can build a home." Sometimes you are close, and that's wonderful. Sometimes you don't feel much love, and that's hard. But we can be faithful. We can build a home together and create space for God and for the children of God.
Within the discipline of community are the disciplines of forgiveness and celebration. Forgiveness and celebration are what make community, whether a marriage, a friendship, or any other form of community.
What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is to allow the other person not to be God. Forgiveness says, "I know you love me, but you don't have to love me unconditionally, because no human being can do that."
We all have wounds. We all are in so much pain. It's precisely this feeling of loneliness that lurks behind all our successes, that feeling of uselessness that hides under all the praise, that feeling of meaninglessness even when people say we are fantastic—that is what makes us sometimes grab onto people and expect from them an affection and love they cannot give.
If we want other people to give us something that only God can give, we become a demon. We say, "Love me!" and before you know it we become violent and demanding and manipulative. It's so important that we keep forgiving one another—not once in a while, but every moment of life. Before you have had your breakfast, you have already had at least three opportunities to forgive people, because your mind is already wondering, What will they think about me? What will he or she do? How will they use me?
To forgive other people for being able to give you only a little love—that's a hard discipline. To keep asking others for forgiveness because you can give only a little love—that's a hard discipline, too. It hurts to say to your children, to your wife or your husband, to your friends, that you cannot give them all that you would like to give. Still, that is where community starts to be created, when we come together in a forgiving and undemanding way.
This is where celebration, the second discipline of community, comes in. If you can forgive that another person cannot give you what only God can give, then you can celebrate that person's gift. Then you can see the love that person is giving you as a reflection of God's great unconditional love. "Love one another because I have loved you first." When we have known that first love, we can see the love that comes to us from people as the reflection of that. We can celebrate that and say, "Wow, that's beautiful!"
In our community, Daybreak, we have to do a lot of forgiving. But right in the midst of forgiving comes a celebration: we see the beauty of people who quite often are considered marginal by society. With forgiveness and celebration, community becomes the place where we call forth the gifts of other people, lift them up, and say, "You are the beloved daughter and the beloved son."
To celebrate another person's gift doesn't mean giving each other little compliments—"You play the piano better"; "You are so good in singing." No, that's a talent show.
To celebrate each other's gifts means to accept each other's humanity. We see each other as a person who can smile, say "Welcome," eat, and make a few steps. A person who in the eyes of others is broken suddenly is full of life, because you discover your own brokenness through them.
Here is what I mean. In this world, so many people live with the burden of self-rejection: "I'm not good. I'm useless. People don't really care for me. If I didn't have money, they wouldn't talk to me. If I didn't have this big job, they wouldn't call me. If I didn't have this influence, they wouldn't love me." Underneath a successful and highly praised career can live a fearful person who doesn't think much of himself or herself. In community comes that mutual vulnerability in which we forgive each other and celebrate each other's gifts.
I have learned so much since coming to Daybreak. I've learned that my real gifts are not that I write books or that I went to universities. My real gifts are discovered by Janet and Nathan and others who know me so well they cannot be impressed any more by this other stuff. Once in a while they say, "I have good advice: Why don't you read some of your own books?"
There is healing in being known in my vulnerability and impatience and weakness. Suddenly I realize that Henri is a good person also in the eyes of people who don't read books and who don't care about success. These people can forgive me constantly for the little egocentric gestures and behaviors that are always there.
Ministry
All the disciples of Jesus are called to ministry. Ministry is not, first of all, something that you do (although it calls you to do many things). Ministry is something that you have to trust. If you know you are the beloved, and if you keep forgiving those with whom you form community and celebrate their gifts, you cannot do other than minister.
Jesus cured people not by doing all sorts of complicated things. A power went out from him, and everyone was cured. He didn't say, "Let me talk to you for ten minutes, and maybe I can do something about this." Everyone who touched him was cured, because a power went out from his pure heart. He wanted one thing—to do the will of God. He was the completely obedient one, the one who was always listening to God. Out of this listening came an intimacy with God that radiated out to everyone Jesus saw and touched.
Ministry means you have to trust that. You have to trust that if you are the son and daughter of God, power will go out from you and that people will be healed.
"Go out and heal the sick. Walk on the snake. Call the dead to life." This is not small talk. Yet Jesus said, "Whatever I do, you can do too and even greater things." Jesus said precisely, "You are sent into the world just as I was sent into the world—to heal, to cure."
Trust in that healing power. Trust that if you are living as the beloved you will heal people whether or not you notice it. But you have to be faithful to that call.
Healing ministry can be expressed in two words: gratitude and compassion.
Healing happens often by leading people to gratitude, for the world is full of resentment. What is resentment? Cold anger. "I'm angry at him. I'm angry at this. This is not the way I want it." Gradually, there are more and more things I am negative about, and soon I become a resentful person.
Resentment makes you cling to your failures or disappointments and complain about the losses in your life. Our life is full of losses— losses of dreams and losses of friends and losses of family and losses of hopes. There is always the lurking danger we will respond to these incredible pains in resentment. Resentment gives us a hardened heart.
Jesus calls us to gratitude. He calls to us, "You foolish people. Didn't you know that the Son of Man—that you, that we—have to suffer and thus enter into the glory? Didn't you know that these pains were labor pains that lead you to the joy? Didn't you know that all we are experiencing as losses are gains in God's eyes? Those who lose their lives will gain it. And if the grain doesn't die, it stays a small grain; but if it dies, then it will be fruitful."
Can you be grateful for everything that has happened in your life—not just the good things but for all that brought you to today? It was the pain of a Son that created a family of people known as Christians. That's the mystery of God.
Our ministry is to help people to gradually let go of the resentment, to discover that right in the middle of pain there is a blessing. Right in the middle of your tears—that's where the dance starts and joy is first felt.
In this crazy world, there's an enormous distinction between good times and bad, between sorrow and joy. But in the eyes of God, they're never separated. Where there is pain, there is healing. Where there is mourning, there is dancing. Where there is poverty, there is the kingdom.
Jesus says, "Cry over your pains,and you will discover that I'm right there in your tears, and you will be grateful for my presence in your weakness." Ministry means to help people become grateful for life even with pain. That gratitude can send into the world precisely to the places where people are in pain. The minister, the disciple of Jesus, goes where there is pain not because he is a masochist or she is a sadist, but because God is hidden in the pain.
"Blessed are the poor." Jesus doesn't say, "Blessed are those who care for the poor"; he says, "Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the mourning. Blessed are those who have pain. There I am." To minister, you have to be where the pain is. Sometimes that pain is hidden in a person who from the outside might look painless or successful.
Compassion means to suffer with, to live with those who suffer. When Jesus saw the woman of Nain he realized, This is a widow who has lost her only son, and he was moved by compassion. He felt the pain of that woman in his guts. He felt her pain so deeply in his spirit that out of compassion he called the son to life so he could give that son back to his mother.
We are sent to wherever there is poverty, loneliness, and suffering to have the courage to be with people. Trust that by throwing yourself into that place of pain you will find the joy of Jesus. All ministries in history are built on that vision. A new world grows out of compassion.
Be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate. It's a great call. But don't be fearful; don't be afraid. Don't say, "I can't do that."
When you are aware that you are the beloved, and when you have friends around you with whom you live in community, you can do anything. You're not afraid anymore. You're not afraid to knock on the door while somebody's dying. You're not afraid to open a discussion with a person who underneath all the glitter is much in need of ministry. You're free.
I've experienced that constantly. When I was depressed or when I felt anxious, I knew my friends couldn't solve it. Those who ministered to me were those who were not afraid to be with me. Precisely where I felt my poverty I discovered God's blessing.
Just a few weeks ago a friend of mine died. He was a classmate, and they sent me the tape of his funeral service. The first reading in that service was a story about a little river. The little river said, "I can become a big river." It worked hard, but there was a big rock. The river said, "I'm going to get around this rock." The little river pushed and pushed, and since it had a lot of strength, it got itself around the rock.
Soon the river faced a big wall, and the river kept pushing this wall. Eventually, the river made a canyon and carved a way through. The growing river said, "I can do it. I can push it. I am not going to let down for anything."
Then there was an enormous forest. The river said, "I'll go ahead anyway and just force these trees down." And the river did.
The river, now powerful, stood on the edge of an enormous desert with the sun beating down. The river said, "I'm going to go through this desert." But the hot sand soon began to soak up the whole river. The river said, "Oh, no. I'm going to do it. I'm going to get myself through this desert." But the river soon had drained into the sand until it was only a small mud pool.
Then the river heard a voice from above: "Just surrender. Let me lift you up. Let me take over." The river said, "Here I am." The sun then lifted up the river and made the river into a huge cloud. He carried the river right over the desert and let the cloud rain down and make the fields far away fruitful and rich.
There is a moment in our life when we stand before the desert and want to do it ourselves. But there is the voice that comes, "Let go. Surrender. I will make you fruitful. Yes, trust me. Give yourself to me."
What counts in your life and mine is not successes but fruits. The fruits of your life you might not see yourself. The fruits of your life are born often in your pain and in your vulnerability and in your losses. The fruits of your life come only after the plow has carved through your land. God wants you to be fruitful.
The question is not, "How much can I still do in the years that are left to me?" The question is, "How can I prepare myself for total surrender so my life can be fruitful?"
Our little lives are small, human lives. But in the eyes of the One who calls us the beloved, we are great—greater than the years we have. We will bear fruits, fruits that you and I will not see on this earth but in which we can trust.
Solitude, community, ministry— these disciplines help us live a fruitful life. Remain in Jesus; he remains in you. You will bear many fruits, you will have great joy, and your joy will be complete.
by Henri Nouwen
By discipline, I do not mean control. If I know the discipline of psychology or of economics, I have a certain control over a body of knowledge. If I discipline my children, I want to have a little control over them.
But in the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up. Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the spiritual life, discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you hadn't planned or counted on.
I think three disciplines are important for us to remain faithful, so we not only become disciples, but also remain disciples. These disciplines are contained in one passage from Scripture with which we're familiar, but one that we may be surprised to find speaks about discipline.
"Now it happened in those days that Jesus went onto the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came, he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them and called them apostles: Simon, whom he called Peter; and his brother, Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, son of Alphaeus; Simon, called the Zealot; Judas, son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
"He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples. There was a great crowd of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and be cured of their diseases. And people tormented by unclean spirits were also cured. Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all" (Luke 6:12-19).
This is a beautiful story that moves from night to morning toafternoon. Jesus spent the night in solitude with God. In the morning, he gathered his apostles around him and formed community. In the afternoon, with his apostles, he went out and preached the Word and healed the sick.
Notice the order—from solitude to community to ministry. The night is for solitude; the morning for community; the afternoon for ministry.
So often in ministry, I have wanted to do it by myself. If it didn't work, I went to others and said, "Please!" searching for a community to help me. If that didn't work, maybe I'd start praying.
But the order that Jesus teaches us is the reverse. It begins by being with God in solitude; then it creates a fellowship, a community of people with whom the mission is being lived; and finally this community goes out together to heal and to proclaim good news.
I believe you can look at solitude, community, and ministry as three disciplines by which we create space for God. If we create space in which God can act and speak, something surprising will happen. You and I are called to these disciplines if we want to be disciples.
Solitude
Solitude is being with God and God alone. Is there any space for that in your life?
Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It's important because it's the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you "my beloved daughter," "my beloved son," "my beloved child." To pray is to let that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being.
Who am I? I am the beloved. That's the voice Jesus heard when he came out of the Jordan River: "You are my beloved; on you my favor rests." And Jesus says to you and to me that we are loved as he is loved. That same voice is there for you. When you are not claiming that voice, you cannot walk freely in this world.
Jesus listened to that voice all the time, and he was able to walk right through life. People were applauding him, laughing at him; praising him and rejecting him; calling "Hosanna!" and calling "Crucify!" But in the midst of that, Jesus knew one thing—I am the beloved; I am God's favorite one. He clung to that voice.
There are many other voices speaking—loudly: "Prove that you are the beloved." "Prove you're worth something." "Prove you have any contribution to make." "Do something relevant." "Be sure you make a name for yourself." "At least have some power—then people will love you; then people will say you're wonderful, you're great."
These voices are so strong in this world. These were the voices Jesus heard right after he heard "You are my beloved." Another voice said, "Prove you are the beloved. Do something. Change these stones into bread. Be sure you're famous. Jump from the temple, and you will be known. Grab some power so you have real influence. Don't you want some influence? Isn't that why you came?"
Jesus said, "No, I don't have to prove anything. I am already the beloved."
I love Rembrandt's painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. The father holds his son, holds his daughter, and touches his son and his daughter and says, "You are my beloved. I'm not going to ask you any questions. Wherever you have gone, whatever you have done, and whatever people say about you, you're my beloved. I hold you safe in my embrace. I touch you. I hold you safe under my wings. You can come home to me whose name is Compassionate, whose name is Love."
If you keep that in mind, you can deal with an enormous amount of success as well as an enormous amount of failure without losing your identity, because your identity is that you are the beloved. Long before your father and mother, your brothers and sisters, your teachers, your church, or any people touched you in a loving as well as in a wounding way—long before you were rejected by some person or praised by somebody else—that voice has been there always. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." That love is there before you were born and will be there after you die.
A life of fifty, sixty, seventy, or a hundred years is just a little moment in which you can say, "Yes, I love you too." God has become so vulnerable, so little, so dependent in a manger and on a cross and is begging us, "Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you really love me?"
That's where ministry starts, because your freedom is anchored in claiming your belovedness. That allows you to go into this world and touch people, heal them, speak with them, and make them aware that they are beloved, chosen, and blessed. When you discover your belovedness by God, you see the belovedness of other people and call that forth. It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved.
Now this is not easy. Jesus spent the night in prayer. That's a picture of the fact that prayer is not something you always feel. It's not a voice you always hear with these ears. It's not always an insight that suddenly comes to you in your little mind. (God's heart is greater than the human heart, God's mind is greater than the human mind, and God's light is so great that it might blind you and make you feel like you're in the night.)
But you have to pray. You have to listen to the voice who calls you the beloved, because otherwise you will run around begging for affirmation, for praise, for success. And then you're not free.
Oh, if we could sit for just one half hour a day doing nothing except taking a simple word from the gospel and putting it in front of us—say, "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." Say it three times, and we know it's not true, because we want many things. That's exactly why we're so nervous. But if we keep saying the truth, the real truth—"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want"—and let that truth descend from our mind into our heart, gradually those words are written on the walls of our inner holy place. That becomes the space in which we can receive our colleagues and our work, our family and our friends, and the people whom we will meet during the day.
The trouble is, as soon as you sit and become quiet, you think, Oh, I forgot this. I should call my friend. Later on I'm going to see him. Your inner life is like a banana tree filled with monkeys jumping up and down.
It's not easy to sit and trust that in solitude God will speak to you— not as a magical voice but that he will let you know something gradually over the years. And in that word from God you will find the inner place from which to live your life.
Solitude is where spiritual ministry begins. That's where Jesus listened to God. That's where we listen to God.
Sometimes I think of life as a big wagon wheel with many spokes. In the middle is the hub. Often in ministry, it looks like we are running around the rim trying to reach everybody. But God says, "Start in the hub; live in the hub. Then you will be connected with all the spokes, and you won't have to run so fast."
Community
It's precisely in the hub, in that communion with God, that we discover the call to community. It's remarkable that solitude always calls us to community. In solitude you realize you're part of a human family and that you want to lift something together.
By community, I don't mean formal communities. I mean families, friends, parishes, twelve step programs, prayer groups. Community is not an organization; community is a way of living: you gather around you people with whom you want to proclaim the truth that we are the beloved sons and daughters of God.
Community is not easy. Somebody once said, "Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives." In Jesus' community of twelve apostles, the last name was that of someone who was going to betray him. That person is always in your community somewhere; in the eyes of others, you might be that person.
I live in a community called Daybreak—one of over a hundred communities throughout the world where children, men, and women who are mentally disabled and those who assist them live together. We share all aspects of day today living. Nathan, Janet, and all the other people of our community know how hard it is and how beautiful it is to live together.
Why is it so important that solitude come before community? If we do not know we are the beloved sons and daughters of God, we're going to expect someone in the community to make us feel that way. They cannot. We'll expect someone to give us that perfect, unconditional love. But community is not loneliness grabbing onto loneliness: "I'm so lonely, and you're so lonely." It's solitude grabbing onto solitude: "I am the beloved; you are the beloved; together we can build a home." Sometimes you are close, and that's wonderful. Sometimes you don't feel much love, and that's hard. But we can be faithful. We can build a home together and create space for God and for the children of God.
Within the discipline of community are the disciplines of forgiveness and celebration. Forgiveness and celebration are what make community, whether a marriage, a friendship, or any other form of community.
What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is to allow the other person not to be God. Forgiveness says, "I know you love me, but you don't have to love me unconditionally, because no human being can do that."
We all have wounds. We all are in so much pain. It's precisely this feeling of loneliness that lurks behind all our successes, that feeling of uselessness that hides under all the praise, that feeling of meaninglessness even when people say we are fantastic—that is what makes us sometimes grab onto people and expect from them an affection and love they cannot give.
If we want other people to give us something that only God can give, we become a demon. We say, "Love me!" and before you know it we become violent and demanding and manipulative. It's so important that we keep forgiving one another—not once in a while, but every moment of life. Before you have had your breakfast, you have already had at least three opportunities to forgive people, because your mind is already wondering, What will they think about me? What will he or she do? How will they use me?
To forgive other people for being able to give you only a little love—that's a hard discipline. To keep asking others for forgiveness because you can give only a little love—that's a hard discipline, too. It hurts to say to your children, to your wife or your husband, to your friends, that you cannot give them all that you would like to give. Still, that is where community starts to be created, when we come together in a forgiving and undemanding way.
This is where celebration, the second discipline of community, comes in. If you can forgive that another person cannot give you what only God can give, then you can celebrate that person's gift. Then you can see the love that person is giving you as a reflection of God's great unconditional love. "Love one another because I have loved you first." When we have known that first love, we can see the love that comes to us from people as the reflection of that. We can celebrate that and say, "Wow, that's beautiful!"
In our community, Daybreak, we have to do a lot of forgiving. But right in the midst of forgiving comes a celebration: we see the beauty of people who quite often are considered marginal by society. With forgiveness and celebration, community becomes the place where we call forth the gifts of other people, lift them up, and say, "You are the beloved daughter and the beloved son."
To celebrate another person's gift doesn't mean giving each other little compliments—"You play the piano better"; "You are so good in singing." No, that's a talent show.
To celebrate each other's gifts means to accept each other's humanity. We see each other as a person who can smile, say "Welcome," eat, and make a few steps. A person who in the eyes of others is broken suddenly is full of life, because you discover your own brokenness through them.
Here is what I mean. In this world, so many people live with the burden of self-rejection: "I'm not good. I'm useless. People don't really care for me. If I didn't have money, they wouldn't talk to me. If I didn't have this big job, they wouldn't call me. If I didn't have this influence, they wouldn't love me." Underneath a successful and highly praised career can live a fearful person who doesn't think much of himself or herself. In community comes that mutual vulnerability in which we forgive each other and celebrate each other's gifts.
I have learned so much since coming to Daybreak. I've learned that my real gifts are not that I write books or that I went to universities. My real gifts are discovered by Janet and Nathan and others who know me so well they cannot be impressed any more by this other stuff. Once in a while they say, "I have good advice: Why don't you read some of your own books?"
There is healing in being known in my vulnerability and impatience and weakness. Suddenly I realize that Henri is a good person also in the eyes of people who don't read books and who don't care about success. These people can forgive me constantly for the little egocentric gestures and behaviors that are always there.
Ministry
All the disciples of Jesus are called to ministry. Ministry is not, first of all, something that you do (although it calls you to do many things). Ministry is something that you have to trust. If you know you are the beloved, and if you keep forgiving those with whom you form community and celebrate their gifts, you cannot do other than minister.
Jesus cured people not by doing all sorts of complicated things. A power went out from him, and everyone was cured. He didn't say, "Let me talk to you for ten minutes, and maybe I can do something about this." Everyone who touched him was cured, because a power went out from his pure heart. He wanted one thing—to do the will of God. He was the completely obedient one, the one who was always listening to God. Out of this listening came an intimacy with God that radiated out to everyone Jesus saw and touched.
Ministry means you have to trust that. You have to trust that if you are the son and daughter of God, power will go out from you and that people will be healed.
"Go out and heal the sick. Walk on the snake. Call the dead to life." This is not small talk. Yet Jesus said, "Whatever I do, you can do too and even greater things." Jesus said precisely, "You are sent into the world just as I was sent into the world—to heal, to cure."
Trust in that healing power. Trust that if you are living as the beloved you will heal people whether or not you notice it. But you have to be faithful to that call.
Healing ministry can be expressed in two words: gratitude and compassion.
Healing happens often by leading people to gratitude, for the world is full of resentment. What is resentment? Cold anger. "I'm angry at him. I'm angry at this. This is not the way I want it." Gradually, there are more and more things I am negative about, and soon I become a resentful person.
Resentment makes you cling to your failures or disappointments and complain about the losses in your life. Our life is full of losses— losses of dreams and losses of friends and losses of family and losses of hopes. There is always the lurking danger we will respond to these incredible pains in resentment. Resentment gives us a hardened heart.
Jesus calls us to gratitude. He calls to us, "You foolish people. Didn't you know that the Son of Man—that you, that we—have to suffer and thus enter into the glory? Didn't you know that these pains were labor pains that lead you to the joy? Didn't you know that all we are experiencing as losses are gains in God's eyes? Those who lose their lives will gain it. And if the grain doesn't die, it stays a small grain; but if it dies, then it will be fruitful."
Can you be grateful for everything that has happened in your life—not just the good things but for all that brought you to today? It was the pain of a Son that created a family of people known as Christians. That's the mystery of God.
Our ministry is to help people to gradually let go of the resentment, to discover that right in the middle of pain there is a blessing. Right in the middle of your tears—that's where the dance starts and joy is first felt.
In this crazy world, there's an enormous distinction between good times and bad, between sorrow and joy. But in the eyes of God, they're never separated. Where there is pain, there is healing. Where there is mourning, there is dancing. Where there is poverty, there is the kingdom.
Jesus says, "Cry over your pains,and you will discover that I'm right there in your tears, and you will be grateful for my presence in your weakness." Ministry means to help people become grateful for life even with pain. That gratitude can send into the world precisely to the places where people are in pain. The minister, the disciple of Jesus, goes where there is pain not because he is a masochist or she is a sadist, but because God is hidden in the pain.
"Blessed are the poor." Jesus doesn't say, "Blessed are those who care for the poor"; he says, "Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the mourning. Blessed are those who have pain. There I am." To minister, you have to be where the pain is. Sometimes that pain is hidden in a person who from the outside might look painless or successful.
Compassion means to suffer with, to live with those who suffer. When Jesus saw the woman of Nain he realized, This is a widow who has lost her only son, and he was moved by compassion. He felt the pain of that woman in his guts. He felt her pain so deeply in his spirit that out of compassion he called the son to life so he could give that son back to his mother.
We are sent to wherever there is poverty, loneliness, and suffering to have the courage to be with people. Trust that by throwing yourself into that place of pain you will find the joy of Jesus. All ministries in history are built on that vision. A new world grows out of compassion.
Be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate. It's a great call. But don't be fearful; don't be afraid. Don't say, "I can't do that."
When you are aware that you are the beloved, and when you have friends around you with whom you live in community, you can do anything. You're not afraid anymore. You're not afraid to knock on the door while somebody's dying. You're not afraid to open a discussion with a person who underneath all the glitter is much in need of ministry. You're free.
I've experienced that constantly. When I was depressed or when I felt anxious, I knew my friends couldn't solve it. Those who ministered to me were those who were not afraid to be with me. Precisely where I felt my poverty I discovered God's blessing.
Just a few weeks ago a friend of mine died. He was a classmate, and they sent me the tape of his funeral service. The first reading in that service was a story about a little river. The little river said, "I can become a big river." It worked hard, but there was a big rock. The river said, "I'm going to get around this rock." The little river pushed and pushed, and since it had a lot of strength, it got itself around the rock.
Soon the river faced a big wall, and the river kept pushing this wall. Eventually, the river made a canyon and carved a way through. The growing river said, "I can do it. I can push it. I am not going to let down for anything."
Then there was an enormous forest. The river said, "I'll go ahead anyway and just force these trees down." And the river did.
The river, now powerful, stood on the edge of an enormous desert with the sun beating down. The river said, "I'm going to go through this desert." But the hot sand soon began to soak up the whole river. The river said, "Oh, no. I'm going to do it. I'm going to get myself through this desert." But the river soon had drained into the sand until it was only a small mud pool.
Then the river heard a voice from above: "Just surrender. Let me lift you up. Let me take over." The river said, "Here I am." The sun then lifted up the river and made the river into a huge cloud. He carried the river right over the desert and let the cloud rain down and make the fields far away fruitful and rich.
There is a moment in our life when we stand before the desert and want to do it ourselves. But there is the voice that comes, "Let go. Surrender. I will make you fruitful. Yes, trust me. Give yourself to me."
What counts in your life and mine is not successes but fruits. The fruits of your life you might not see yourself. The fruits of your life are born often in your pain and in your vulnerability and in your losses. The fruits of your life come only after the plow has carved through your land. God wants you to be fruitful.
The question is not, "How much can I still do in the years that are left to me?" The question is, "How can I prepare myself for total surrender so my life can be fruitful?"
Our little lives are small, human lives. But in the eyes of the One who calls us the beloved, we are great—greater than the years we have. We will bear fruits, fruits that you and I will not see on this earth but in which we can trust.
Solitude, community, ministry— these disciplines help us live a fruitful life. Remain in Jesus; he remains in you. You will bear many fruits, you will have great joy, and your joy will be complete.
by Henri Nouwen
Differences in Cultural Principles
Culture Scales
Concept of Self
Individualist- The self is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for one’s self protects others. Personal fulfillment is the greatest good. Independence and self reliance are highly valued. Children are taught to stand on their own two feet. Workers don’t mind individual recognition. One’s identity is personal and individual, not a function of one’s membership or role in a group. (US)
Collectivist- The primary group, usually the family, is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for others protects one’s self. Group harmony is the greatest good. Children are taught to depend on others, who in turn can depend on them. Employees don’t like to stand out, they prefer group/ team recognition. Identity is a function of one’s membership/ role in a primary group.(SE Asia, China)
Personal vs. Societal Responsibility
Universalist- What’s right is always right. There are absolutes which apply across the board. The law is the law no matter who one is, there should be no exceptions. Consistency is important. “Fair” means treating everyone the same and one should try to make life fair. (US, UK, Germany)
Particularist- There are no absolutes. What’s right depends on the circumstances. There must always be exceptions (esp. for in-group members). Consistency is not possible (life isn’t that neat). “Fair” means treating everyone uniquely and no one expects life to be fair.(Africa, China, Middle East, then India, Mexico, SE Asia)
Subjective and Objective
Logic of the Head- Favoritism is frowned upon. People should not let personal feelings intrude into or affect workplace/ professional decisions. Friends don’t expect friends to cover for them. People succeed because of what they do, not because of whom they know. To be objective is a positive thing, something to strive for. (same as PS vs. SR)
Logic of the Heart- Favoritism is the norm. Since the system isn’t fair, people have to look out for their in-group (or others). Whom you know, connections are more important than performance. Friends expect, and provide preferential treatment. One can’t and shouldn’t leave personal feelings out of professional dealings.
Concept of Time
Monochronic- Time is a limited commodity. The needs of people are subservient to the demands of time. Deadlines and schedules are sacred. Plans are not easily changed. People may be too busy to see you. People live by an external clock. (US, UK, G)
Polychronic- Time is bent to meet the needs of people. There is always more time. Schedules and deadlines are easily changed. Plans are fluid. People always have time to see you. People live by an internal clock. (India, Africa, Middle East, Mexico)
Time and Other People
One Thing at a Time- People do one thing at a time and finish one thing before starting another. People expect undivided attention. Interruptions are to be avoided. To be late or kept waiting is rude. People stand in line. The goal is to stick to the schedule. (US, UK, G)
Many Things at Once- People may do several things at the same time and may split their attention between several people/ tasks. To be late or kept waiting is okay. Interruptions are part of life. People don’t stand in line. The goal is to enjoy life. (Africa, India)
Locus of Control
Internal- The locus of control is internal. Fate has little or no importance. There are few givens in life, few things that can’t be changed and must just be accepted. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. One makes one’s own luck. Unhappiness is one’s own fault. People tend to be optimistic. Life is what you make it. (US)
External- The locus of control is external. Fate plays a major role. People believe they have limited control over their destiny/ external events. Many things in life must be accepted/ can’t be changed. Success/ lack of success is partly a result of good/ bad fortune. People tend to be realistic/ fatalistic. Life is what happens to you. (Middle East, Africa)
Degree of Directness
Direct- People say what they mean and mean what they say. There is no need to read between the lines. It’s best to tell it like it is. People are less likely to imply and more likely to say exactly what they are thinking. Yes means yes. (Germany, US)
Indirect- People don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. You have to read between the lines. People are more likely to suggest or imply than to come out and say what they think. You can’t always tell it like it is (what if that upsets the other person?) Yes may mean maybe or even no. (Africa, China, SE Asia)
Role of Context
Low Context- People are individualistic. In-groups are not as well developed as they are in high-context cultures and people spend less time in them, hence there are fewer shared experiences and less shared understanding. One has to spell things out and be explicit. Words are the primary carriers of meaning. What is said is more important than what is not said. (US, G)
High Context- People tend to be collectivistic. In-groups are strong and people spend a lot of time together, hence there are more shared experiences and more common understanding than there are in low-context cultures. There is less need to spell things out. Words are not always the primary carriers of meaning. What is not said may be more important than what is said. (SEA, Africa, China, Japan)
Importance of Face
Face is Less Important- Telling the truth is more important than sparing one’s feelings. Honesty is the best policy. It’s okay to say no and to confront people. People don’t worry much about saving face. Getting /giving information efficiently is the primary goal of the communication exchange. (US, G)
Face is More Important- Preserving harmony and saving face are key concerns. The truth, if it threatens harmony or someone’s face, should be adjusted. One says what one thinks the other person wants to hear. It’s not always proper to say no, disagree, or confront (that disturbs harmony). Preserving/ strengthening the personal bond is the goal of the communication exchange. (China, Africa, SEA, Japan)
Power Distance
Low- Democratic management style. Power is not usually jealously guarded, managers share authority with subordinates. Subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to managers. Subordinates do not like to be micromanaged. Decision making tends to be consultative. Okay to say no/ disagree with the boss. Manager/ subordinate relations are fairly informal. Rank has few privileges. (UK, G then US)
High- Authoritarian- Power is centralized. One defers to authority. Managers hold on to power, not much delegation of authority. Subordinates do not take initiative but wait for explicit instructions. Decisions are made at the top. One does not openly disagree with/ say no to the boss. Rank has its privileges. Manager/ subordinate relations are formal. (Russia then SEA, Middle East, Mexico, India, China)
Attitude Toward Uncertainty
Positive- People are not afraid of taking risks or failing. Trial and error/ experimenting is how we learn and improve our products and services. What is different is interesting. Change is positive. New is often better. Tradition is not valued for its own sake. The “way we have always done things” is not necessarily the best way. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. (US)
Skeptical- Taking risks and failing have strong negative consequences and should be avoided if at all possible. One does not try something until one knows it will work. What is different can be dangerous. Change is threatening. New is not necessarily better. Traditions should be respected and are a good guide to the future. There’s a good reason for “the way we have always done things.” What we don’t know can be troubling. (Russia, SEA, ME, C, M, I)
Attitude Toward Work
Achievement- People are motivated by achievement. Ambition is rewarded. Being successful means moving up, getting ahead, and having greater responsibility. Professional opportunity/ the chance to make more money is more important than job security. If people have to choose between work and family, they may choose work. One lives to work. (Japan then US, UK, G)
Quality of Life- A better quality of life is what motivates people to work. A pleasant work setting and good relations with coworkers are as motivating as the chance to make more money and move up. Having time to spend with family is as important as the lure of achievement. More power and responsibility are not automatically attractive. Success means you are admired and respected by others. One works to live. (Russia, Africa then France, Spain)
Key to Productivity
Results- Focusing on the task ensures success. What matters most in employees is their productivity and output, which are related to technical skills and experience. Conflict is sometimes necessary to clear the air and move forward. Getting results is ultimately more important than how you get them. Employee/ employer relationship is often opportunistic. Employee loyalty is not as important as performance/ productivity. (G, US)
Harmony- Harmony in the workplace ensures the success of an organization. What matters in employees is their ability to get along/ work well with others, which is related to personal qualities (more than technical skills). Conflict should be minimized because of disruptive consequences. How you get results is as important as the results themselves. Employer/ employee relationship is like a family. Loyalty is expected and reciprocal. (Japan)
Source of Status
Achieved- Meritocracy- Rank, status, and respect must be earned and do not come with the position or title. Family name and social class do not confer automatic status. People are respected and promoted based on their performance and achievements, regardless of age or seniority. Age/ seniority do not grarantee respect or status. It is relatively easy to change your status (move up). People of higher rank/ status should not act superior to / better than those of lesser. (G, US, Russia)
Ascribed- Autocracy- Rank, position, and title confer automatic status and respect. Social class/ family name confer initial status (but it can be lost if you do not perform well). Achievements are important for promotion, but age and seniority are also highly valued. Age and seniority confer automatic status and respect. It is difficult to change your status (especially to move up). People should be careful not to behave above/ below their station in life. (Africa, Middle East, India)
Concept of Self
Individualist- The self is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for one’s self protects others. Personal fulfillment is the greatest good. Independence and self reliance are highly valued. Children are taught to stand on their own two feet. Workers don’t mind individual recognition. One’s identity is personal and individual, not a function of one’s membership or role in a group. (US)
Collectivist- The primary group, usually the family, is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for others protects one’s self. Group harmony is the greatest good. Children are taught to depend on others, who in turn can depend on them. Employees don’t like to stand out, they prefer group/ team recognition. Identity is a function of one’s membership/ role in a primary group.(SE Asia, China)
Personal vs. Societal Responsibility
Universalist- What’s right is always right. There are absolutes which apply across the board. The law is the law no matter who one is, there should be no exceptions. Consistency is important. “Fair” means treating everyone the same and one should try to make life fair. (US, UK, Germany)
Particularist- There are no absolutes. What’s right depends on the circumstances. There must always be exceptions (esp. for in-group members). Consistency is not possible (life isn’t that neat). “Fair” means treating everyone uniquely and no one expects life to be fair.(Africa, China, Middle East, then India, Mexico, SE Asia)
Subjective and Objective
Logic of the Head- Favoritism is frowned upon. People should not let personal feelings intrude into or affect workplace/ professional decisions. Friends don’t expect friends to cover for them. People succeed because of what they do, not because of whom they know. To be objective is a positive thing, something to strive for. (same as PS vs. SR)
Logic of the Heart- Favoritism is the norm. Since the system isn’t fair, people have to look out for their in-group (or others). Whom you know, connections are more important than performance. Friends expect, and provide preferential treatment. One can’t and shouldn’t leave personal feelings out of professional dealings.
Concept of Time
Monochronic- Time is a limited commodity. The needs of people are subservient to the demands of time. Deadlines and schedules are sacred. Plans are not easily changed. People may be too busy to see you. People live by an external clock. (US, UK, G)
Polychronic- Time is bent to meet the needs of people. There is always more time. Schedules and deadlines are easily changed. Plans are fluid. People always have time to see you. People live by an internal clock. (India, Africa, Middle East, Mexico)
Time and Other People
One Thing at a Time- People do one thing at a time and finish one thing before starting another. People expect undivided attention. Interruptions are to be avoided. To be late or kept waiting is rude. People stand in line. The goal is to stick to the schedule. (US, UK, G)
Many Things at Once- People may do several things at the same time and may split their attention between several people/ tasks. To be late or kept waiting is okay. Interruptions are part of life. People don’t stand in line. The goal is to enjoy life. (Africa, India)
Locus of Control
Internal- The locus of control is internal. Fate has little or no importance. There are few givens in life, few things that can’t be changed and must just be accepted. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. One makes one’s own luck. Unhappiness is one’s own fault. People tend to be optimistic. Life is what you make it. (US)
External- The locus of control is external. Fate plays a major role. People believe they have limited control over their destiny/ external events. Many things in life must be accepted/ can’t be changed. Success/ lack of success is partly a result of good/ bad fortune. People tend to be realistic/ fatalistic. Life is what happens to you. (Middle East, Africa)
Degree of Directness
Direct- People say what they mean and mean what they say. There is no need to read between the lines. It’s best to tell it like it is. People are less likely to imply and more likely to say exactly what they are thinking. Yes means yes. (Germany, US)
Indirect- People don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. You have to read between the lines. People are more likely to suggest or imply than to come out and say what they think. You can’t always tell it like it is (what if that upsets the other person?) Yes may mean maybe or even no. (Africa, China, SE Asia)
Role of Context
Low Context- People are individualistic. In-groups are not as well developed as they are in high-context cultures and people spend less time in them, hence there are fewer shared experiences and less shared understanding. One has to spell things out and be explicit. Words are the primary carriers of meaning. What is said is more important than what is not said. (US, G)
High Context- People tend to be collectivistic. In-groups are strong and people spend a lot of time together, hence there are more shared experiences and more common understanding than there are in low-context cultures. There is less need to spell things out. Words are not always the primary carriers of meaning. What is not said may be more important than what is said. (SEA, Africa, China, Japan)
Importance of Face
Face is Less Important- Telling the truth is more important than sparing one’s feelings. Honesty is the best policy. It’s okay to say no and to confront people. People don’t worry much about saving face. Getting /giving information efficiently is the primary goal of the communication exchange. (US, G)
Face is More Important- Preserving harmony and saving face are key concerns. The truth, if it threatens harmony or someone’s face, should be adjusted. One says what one thinks the other person wants to hear. It’s not always proper to say no, disagree, or confront (that disturbs harmony). Preserving/ strengthening the personal bond is the goal of the communication exchange. (China, Africa, SEA, Japan)
Power Distance
Low- Democratic management style. Power is not usually jealously guarded, managers share authority with subordinates. Subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to managers. Subordinates do not like to be micromanaged. Decision making tends to be consultative. Okay to say no/ disagree with the boss. Manager/ subordinate relations are fairly informal. Rank has few privileges. (UK, G then US)
High- Authoritarian- Power is centralized. One defers to authority. Managers hold on to power, not much delegation of authority. Subordinates do not take initiative but wait for explicit instructions. Decisions are made at the top. One does not openly disagree with/ say no to the boss. Rank has its privileges. Manager/ subordinate relations are formal. (Russia then SEA, Middle East, Mexico, India, China)
Attitude Toward Uncertainty
Positive- People are not afraid of taking risks or failing. Trial and error/ experimenting is how we learn and improve our products and services. What is different is interesting. Change is positive. New is often better. Tradition is not valued for its own sake. The “way we have always done things” is not necessarily the best way. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. (US)
Skeptical- Taking risks and failing have strong negative consequences and should be avoided if at all possible. One does not try something until one knows it will work. What is different can be dangerous. Change is threatening. New is not necessarily better. Traditions should be respected and are a good guide to the future. There’s a good reason for “the way we have always done things.” What we don’t know can be troubling. (Russia, SEA, ME, C, M, I)
Attitude Toward Work
Achievement- People are motivated by achievement. Ambition is rewarded. Being successful means moving up, getting ahead, and having greater responsibility. Professional opportunity/ the chance to make more money is more important than job security. If people have to choose between work and family, they may choose work. One lives to work. (Japan then US, UK, G)
Quality of Life- A better quality of life is what motivates people to work. A pleasant work setting and good relations with coworkers are as motivating as the chance to make more money and move up. Having time to spend with family is as important as the lure of achievement. More power and responsibility are not automatically attractive. Success means you are admired and respected by others. One works to live. (Russia, Africa then France, Spain)
Key to Productivity
Results- Focusing on the task ensures success. What matters most in employees is their productivity and output, which are related to technical skills and experience. Conflict is sometimes necessary to clear the air and move forward. Getting results is ultimately more important than how you get them. Employee/ employer relationship is often opportunistic. Employee loyalty is not as important as performance/ productivity. (G, US)
Harmony- Harmony in the workplace ensures the success of an organization. What matters in employees is their ability to get along/ work well with others, which is related to personal qualities (more than technical skills). Conflict should be minimized because of disruptive consequences. How you get results is as important as the results themselves. Employer/ employee relationship is like a family. Loyalty is expected and reciprocal. (Japan)
Source of Status
Achieved- Meritocracy- Rank, status, and respect must be earned and do not come with the position or title. Family name and social class do not confer automatic status. People are respected and promoted based on their performance and achievements, regardless of age or seniority. Age/ seniority do not grarantee respect or status. It is relatively easy to change your status (move up). People of higher rank/ status should not act superior to / better than those of lesser. (G, US, Russia)
Ascribed- Autocracy- Rank, position, and title confer automatic status and respect. Social class/ family name confer initial status (but it can be lost if you do not perform well). Achievements are important for promotion, but age and seniority are also highly valued. Age and seniority confer automatic status and respect. It is difficult to change your status (especially to move up). People should be careful not to behave above/ below their station in life. (Africa, Middle East, India)
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